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queen-rogah · 5 years

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A Night to Remember (Joe Mazello x Reader)

Summary: Your life-long friend Rami called you in to come with them in a Queen+Adam Lambert concert. It turns out you'll be facing your celebrity crush, Joe Mazello

Warnings: None. Just pure cuteness of the whole cast and the pairing :)

Word Count: 1.6k words

"Y/N! Darling, I have to tell you something!."

You smile to hear Rami's voice through your phone. It's been months since you talked to your life-long friend ever since you two are in middle school. You have parted ways in college but through his acting career, you got in touch with him after all the years you didn't see him. One of his major films is the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody that really sent his career to the top. People and movie critics loved him and the rest of the casts in portraying the legendary band. You remember the time that Rami will call you to come with him on set to meet all of the people working behind the huge film. And there you met Joseph Mazello, the eccentric guy that sends laughs and joy in set. You liked him as he played John Deacon of Queen, playing along with that British accent and learning on playing the bass guitar. He's just so nice and kind and funny, that's where you realized you started to like him, like literally like him.

You already entitled him as your celebrity crush.

"Hey Rami! What's up?." You responded, pacing around your room as you grip your phone inside your hand. You're always giddy when Rami calls, especially when he's hanging out with Joe and the others.

"I was thinking that you should come with us." He said through the line as you furrowed your brows in confusion.

"Where?." You asked.

"You know...in a Queen plus Adam Lambert concert. Brian and Roger actually invited us and got us some seats already, then meet with them backstage after their show." He explained and you're just left speechless because you can't explain how excited you're getting right now.

It's your first time to go in a Queen concert. It's sad because you have never seen Freddie Mercury live as he sings their songs, but...this is the opportunity.

"Well yes I'll go! I will never say no to Queen!." You yelled in excitement and squeal in happiness as you hear Rami laughing.

"So it's settled then. The rest of the group will come with us too. Lucy, Gwil, Ben and Joe." He said as you abruptly stopped in your tracks when you heard his name.

"Oh. Okay, I'll be seeing you guys okay? I'm freaking excited." You said.

"We'll be picking you up later. Be ready by 7pm alright Y/N?." He asked and you nod your head, even though he won't see it.

"Yeah sure, of course. 7pm it is!."

"See you Y/N, miss you so much. Mwah!." He chuckles and you smiled sweetly.

"Mwaaah! See you Rami!."

...

You have wore your best clothes, even though you have spend hours in picking these clothes in your closet. You didn't applied that much makeup because you'll just end up crying in the middle of that concert, especially when Adam Lambert will be singing Who Wants to Live Forever live. That song really sends you in the state of sadness.

Your eyes widened when you heard a honk outside your apartment, knowing that will be them already, so you took your sling bag and left your home. You see Rami, Lucy and Ben in the backseat while Gwilym is sitting on the passenger seat, well, Joe is driving the car. As always. You waved your hand at them as Rami opened the car door for you to get inside with them, he quickly gave you the sweetest kiss on the cheek and hugged you tightly, Lucy hugged you too and Ben shyly wrapped his arms around your shoulder as a short hug. He's damn cute, but Joe's cuter though oops.

"Hey Y/N, how are you?." Gwilym asked by the front seat as you grinned up at him.

"I'm good, thanks Gwil!." You responded with a huge smile on your face. You have missed these people so bad, thank God you're meeting them again tonight. Joe finally drive away from your street and you have posted on your IG story doing a boomerang video with Rami, Lucy and Ben in the backseat.

"So Y/N, Rami told me you have never gone to a Queen concert, like ever in your entire life." Joe spoke to you as you stuttered some words at first.

"Uh yeah, I am but I'm really lucky to have you guys and because of you guys, I'm now seeing Queen live. I'm excited!." You exclaimed and you see Joe smiled at you by the rear view mirror.

You blushed, almost looking like a ripe tomato.

The drive to the venue where they are playing is fast since traffic is not that heavy. So, when Joe parked the car, you all left the car as you grin in excitement again. Rami, Lucy, Gwil and Ben partnered up together while they left you with Joe. So, you're walking beside Joe towards the venue.

"How's life Y/N?." Joe suddenly asked you as you turn your look at him.

"It's fine. I've found a job actually and planned on visiting my family house by next month, so...it's going great. Life's going great." You smiled and he looked on the ground, smiling too.

"Well what about you Joe?." You added, making him look at you again.

"Overwhelmed I guess? Since the movie is actually loved by many people, that pressured me to become a better actor, like the best actor I will ever do. That movie pushed me to become on trying my best, even though I will never reach my goal, what's important is I did my best." He said. You we're astonished on his words, those words were so true as you can see his facial expressions.

"I'm very proud of you Joe, so much. I'm so proud to all of you in the movie. You're actually the best version of yourself as an actor now Joe, for me." You gripped his shoulder as he softly put his hand on top of yours.

Your moment with him fades away when Gwil suddenly called you both to keep up with them. Your movements came faster to catch up with the rest of the group and now you're getting inside the venue. Your eyes widen to see the arena, full of fans that are getting in their seats. Your seats are just close to the VIP sections, so it's the best seat to watch the band.

"Queen is just timeless." You said with a sigh as they all agreed with you.

"They go on forever." Ben said as you nod your head at him.

You waited for minutes until the lights finally dimmed down, the crowd is getting high and when they finally got onstage. Your body fired up as the iconic song We Will Rock You was played by Brian, Roger and Adam, together with their band that is supporting them. They looked glorious. Adam looked so committed and passionate in singing the iconic songs that Queen made for years and years. Brian and Roger still playing their songs until now because when music is still alive. Queen is still alive.

The stomp, stomp, clap intensifies in the energy of the crowd. Even you, your movements are so loud and you all shouted the lyrics in joy. Then the second song, Tie Your Mother Down was on, you never stopped banging your head and jumping up and down with the beat. You also laughed at Gwil and Joe doing the air guitar as you all enjoyed the strong melody and tone of the song. It's just only the two songs, this concert will tire the hell out of you and it would be fucking worth it.

After so many songs played, the band paused for a while to interact with the crowd. Adam asking if you're all having a good time tonight as you all yelled a huge yes to him. He introduced Brian and Roger as they waved their hands to greet the crowd, they are glowing in happiness right now. And when Brian suddenly took his selfie stick as he puts his phone on that thing and struts with it around the stage, getting all the crowd as they waved to the camera recording.

Well, Joe being the extra ass he is, he suddenly asked Gwil if he wants to sit on his shoulder to be in Brian's video. Gwil didn't hesitate but to crouch down and let Joe sit on his shoulder. Gwil just effortlessly stood up as he support on Joe by holding on his thighs on either side of his face. They looked happy and you're feeling damn happy. Rami, Lucy, Ben and You started to film Joe and Gwil waving at Brian as he noticed you all in the crowd since you're not that far away. He pointed at all of you as you all cheered in happiness.

You didn't want this moment to end, you just want to spend more time with them. But you just remembered that they are still busy in promoting the film. Interviews and other programs they will go into will keep them busy in months. So in this moment, every minute, every second. You want to cherish it.

You already entitled this as the Night to Remember.

#joe mazzello #joe mazello x reader #joe mazello imagine

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alishameehanmusicjournalism-blog · 7 years

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Peter Getty is a Glasgow based singer/songwriter who has been writing and playing since childhood. Initially inspired by Peter Criss of KISS, Peter was a drummer/singer, and cut his first demo at 13 years old, singing and co writing the track “Here We Call Here We Stand”. After performing in many various bands as drummer, Peter made the decision to move to centre stage and fronted Glasgow band “Exit”. He then moved on to performing solo acoustic before taking an extended sabbatical when his first daughter was born. Returning to the stage a few years ago, Peter once again performed solo acoustic, before hooking up with Mark Robertson on guitar (initially the duo were a three piece, with a mutual friend playing bass). They still performed acoustically, but always with a view to eventually forming a full band to perform the songs the way Peter recorded them. Recruiting Declyn Emslie on drums & Richi Neville on bass, Peter & The Stone River Band, after only two rehearsals, made their live, full band debut at The ABC2, Glasgow, on Saturday 5th May 2012 Following a sudden parting of ways with Declyn, Colin Hunter rocked the drum stool for a show at Stereo, Glasgow, before John Hesford became the band's new drummer. Multi instrumentalist and multi talented Frazer Mackay joined at the same time. Peter & the band recorded their debut EP in April 2014, and with a full album due in late 2017.

I caught up with Peter about his career in the band!

Hi Peter! I’d like to start by asking you who is Peter Getty and The Stone River Band? What makes your sound and where does your inspiration come from?

Sometimes we get called hard rock, sometimes just rock, sometimes 'roots rock', but to me it is all just rock & roll. All my songs start with me and an acoustic guitar, so they are ostensibly folk and country songs. Then I play them with the band and they become loud folk and country songs!

I have been a singer/songwriter for a long time, and I write all the songs.I'm incredibly lucky to have a band that believes in my vision and my work, and that give themselves to helping me bring my work to life.

Lyrically, all my songs are stories in some fashion. Some are stories about love or loss, some are funny, and some are social and political commentary. I work hard on my songs; there is nothing more gratifying than someone telling me they relate to a particular lyric or song, or when my work is used to help causes I believe in.

I approach our live shows in the same fashion; everyone is welcome so there has to be something for everyone, and the show cannot be one dimensional. I can say what I have to say about the state of politics with 'Whose Side Are You On?" & "Soul to Save"; I can sing about relationships going wrong and hearts being broken with "Snake Eyes" and Goodbye to You"; I can give my message of hope to my hometown with "Our Town", then we can have some fun with my 100% autobiographical and true (Honest...) "(I Was A) Teenaged Lapsed Catholic"!

Even though I feel I have a message, it is important to remember that hey, it's only rock & roll! And rock & roll should be fun. In these tough times, it is important to have fun and dance!

Who are your members and what instruments do you all play in the band?

Peter Getty: Lead Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica

Mark Robertson Guitar, vocals

Richard Neville: bass

Frazer Mackay: Guitars, Harmonica,Keyboards,Mandolin

John Hesford Drums,Vocals

I am lucky to have such a great band. I wouldn't swap any of them.

How does the story of your band being born go? What gave you the idea to start up as a rock influenced band?

As far as The Stone River Band goes, I had been playing solo for years, then Mark and I started performing as a duo. All the demos we were cutting were always full band rock tracks though, and having a band was always the goal.

The good people at PM Music booked us to open a four act bill in the O2 ABC2 in Glasgow and Lisa from PM said "why dont you guys put together a band for it?" So Mark called a drummer friend of his (Declyn Elmslie) and we found Richi through a mutual friend, and we played the first Stone River Band with that line up.

We had that line up for a while and played some great,great shows. John and Frazer then joined us and we got even better. Then one day short of the band's second anniversary, we were back at the O2 ABC2, but this time as headliners.

My brother Punky was always my main inspiration. He introduced me to KISS and Bruce Springsteen. The first gig I ver saw was Heavy Pettin' in the Barrowlands, Glasgow. When i saw the crowd go nuts, I knew exactly what i wanted to do. I recorded my first demo that year in our home studio. That was many moons and many bands ago!

If you could bring back one of your music influences, who would it be?

Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici of the E Street Band

What are you plans for the future? Where do you see yourself playing and what are your dream events/venues to play?

Really, my only goal is for each show to be the best we can deliver, to leave the audience feeling like they have been part of something special. I've played all sorts of places and I give it my best whether it is a little bar or the ABC2 or the beautiful Recital Rooms. Of course it would be awesome to play huge arenas, and I really want to play the Hard Rock Cafe, but you gimme a guitar and an audience and I'm happy! I'd play a pay toilet and use my own change!

What have been the biggest challenges about setting up a band and starting from the very beginning of your career? What advice could you give to someone who are looking to pursue their band dream?

Money first and foremost. Guitars and drums and equipment costs money. Rehearsal studios and recording studios cost money. Travelling to and from gigs costs money. As the song says, it is a long way to the top if you wanna rock & roll!

I was lucky that I had a brother that was in a signed, touring band, workng with Brian May, KISS, Motley Crue, Ozzy etc,so I had an inside view to the business part of the music business. Folks think that you get signed, get a big advance and off you go, but it is al money that has to be paid back.

Being a performing musician is incredibly hard word, but creating music and performing music is what makes the rest of it worthwhile. That is why it is called 'playing'!

If there is anyone out there that wants to start a band, I'd say "forget dreams of mansions and sports cars; learn your craft, work hard and just do it! It is a hoot!"

Do you have any events or exciting plans coming up you’d like us to share for you?

We have a show coming up on May 17th in Ivory Black's, Oswald Street,Glasgow (tickets £6, which can be reserved by messaging us at our Facebook page!) which will be the start of a run of shows for us, as we get back to it after a period off.

We will have a new album coming out soon, our first full length album, and in the buildup to that, we'll be doing a lot of shows, a well as sharing some acoustic videos on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PeterGettyTheStoneRiverBand)

We have a lot of overseas fans, especially in the USA,via our Reverb Nation page (www.reverbnation.com/petergetty) so we are planning to broadcast some shows via Facebook Live and other streaming services.

Thank you so much for joining me today! It’s been lovely getting to know you guys.

Thanks for inviting us to talk to ya!

#rock #petergetty #stoneriverband #gigride #journalist #journalism #music #live #band

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cambriomusic · 4 years

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Mike Small Interview

Mike Small is a musician from Toronto, Canada. He was a founding member of the Meligrove Band, and now plays bass for a number of bands. CamBrioMusic.com is delighted to present the following interview. It has been condensed for length considerations.

Cam Brio (CB) = Thanks so much for making the time to be here. How did the documentary about the Meligrove Band come about?

Mike Small (MS) = We were playing a show and a group of students wanted to interview us for a video project. We had a lot of fun with them, and not long after they contacted us again and wanted to make a full-length documentary about a band. They ended up capturing a year of some bad stuff that happened with us. We had our bus break down in Florida and we were stuck in Orlando for a week. They weren’t able to come down and shoot that part. We had two bus breakdowns during the overall time of filming, and I think they composited them both into one story for the sake of continuity. It was December 2010 when we were stuck in Orlando, and we didn’t know when we’d be able to leave. The bus breakdown shown in the movie was in Reno, Nevada. In Montreal we had a belt snap on it. Eventually, we sold it to a soccer team. (laughs)

CB = In the documentary, a lot of Toronto-area bands cite the Meligrove Band as an influence, how did it feel to hear that?

MS = It’s weird, but some if it we already knew because bands tell each other that kind of stuff. I remember at the Montreal festival where we met the guys from Tokyo Police Club, their keyboardist Graham came and sat at our picnic table in the band area and told us what an influence we were on them. The very first comment on our band’s Myspace page, when we had that about a million years ago, was teenaged Graham saying, “I’m going to have a band and get huge, and we will let you open for us.” (laughs) It came true.

CB = Who are some of your musical influences?

MS = A lot of my early bass playing life comes from Paul Simonon from The Clash. Around that time too, I would say Klaus Flouride from the Dead Kennedys. Mike O'Neill from The Inbreds was an influence, but it wasn’t until recently that I started to figure out his fun chords. At some point I got really interested in the Neil Young album “Harvest.” The bassist plays grooves only on the kick drum, and was otherwise staying out completely. The bass becomes a physical presence that controls the volume of the song. Before listening to “Harvest” I would just play constantly on our songs, but when bass players do that songs have no dynamics. But now I find that with bass, not playing is a part of playing. You’re deciding what the dynamics of the songs are. A lot of bassline ideas come from me walking around with the new song I had to play on, in my head. I’d go home and try to figure out what I was hearing in my head. Then I’d go and record and change it around again, that’s generally the process. Two other guys who influenced my playing are Robert Sledge, who played in the Ben Folds Five, and Derek Tokar, who led the Toronto band Radioblaster. Both of them played a Gibson bass with a Russian big muff distortion pedal. They got me into really fuzzy bass you could play on high strings and sound almost synthy, and I definitely put that to use on almost every Meligrove album and anywhere else I could get away it with. (laughs)

CB = Funny connection here, I went to the same high school as you. Did you play a lot of school events?

MS = Yeah, in a sense. Before the Meligove Band formed, I didn’t know Jay or Darcy at all; they had their own band. Meligrove started because the band backing the school choir had all graduated, and the teacher who ran the choir knew that the three of us played instruments, so she approached us to take over. Then the three of us became the school liturgical band, before we were the Meligrove Band. When grade 12 ended, their bass player was leaving so they asked if I would start playing with them. Are you familiar with Sandy from the band Fu*ked Up?

CB = Yeah, for sure.

MS = She went to the same high school and had her own punk band called SNI. If I said no to Jay and Darcy, they were going to ask Sandy to play in the band next. In a sense, Sandy has me to thank for being in Fu*ked Up. (laughs) So when high school ended, that’s how I joined the band. I remember that the three of us went to a Treble Charger concert at the Opera House and that was the first time we all hung out. Side note: I’ve become a freelance bass player for hire. Do you know Rich Aucoin the East Coast singer?

CB = Don’t think I know him.

MS = Well, he sent me a message asking if I would play a bunch of shows with him starting in Ottawa in two weeks. I said yes, and my first show with him was at the Ottawa CityFolk Festival. We were in this arena and there was an outdoor stage next to it. Bush, Live and maybe Our Lady Peace were playing, and I don’t really like Live but they were a lot of fun. (laughs)

CB = Did you ever play with The Cybertronic Spree?

MS = No, but I did make their website. For a while they were getting a different friend to appear on stage as “Weird Al” Yankovic with them. At their very first show I was their first “Weird Al.” They play the ‘80s Transformers soundtrack and there’s a “Weird Al” song on it, that’s why they get someone to play him. Did you see that Kickstarter they did that got over $100,000?

CB = I missed that one.

MS = They asked for something like $15,000 to make an album and they raised way more. They planned to roll all that money into their live production, and were going to go on a huge tour this summer but obviously now can’t. Right before this Kickstarter they were going to play the Gathering of the Juggalos and asked me go to and be their tour manager and merch person. It didn’t work out, but right after that discussion they did this massive Kickstarter. If they ever ask me again, I know they can afford me. (laughs)

CB = In the Meligrove Band you guys always seemed to do your own thing and not try and find into a particular “music scene.” Did you actively try and stick to your own style?

MS = Yeah, I would say that’s accurate.

CB = Do you think that sticking to your own style helped the band’s longevity?

MS = In a sense, yeah. Often in a band your longevity is decided by the public. If in the popular imagination you are an example of a certain style and then that style falls out of favour, you kind of get dragged down with it. I think a lot of music scenes can emerge in an organic social way. A scene may center around an arts school, for example. Where we grew up there was an arts high school and the teenage music scene there was amazing. When we started trying to play in Toronto, we didn’t know anyone and had to exist outside of those social connections. We also always took a while to write songs and record albums, so if we followed trends then the trend would be long gone by the time we put something out. We may have been influenced by things that were current in an organic way, but we never sat down and said, “this is what’s hot right now, so let’s do it.”

CB = Are the other guys in the Meligrove Band playing in other groups now?

MS = Brian and Darcy have a band together. They recently put their album on Spotify. The band is called Quite Nice. Jay has been writing music. He’s been mixing a band’s record and it sounds awesome. He actually mixed the last Meligrove album all by himself. It’s my favourite sounding record we made. I was playing in a live karaoke band for a little over two years. That was really busy, around 3 – 5 gigs a week and a 4-hour set on stage. I have a garage rock band called MAX that’s with Dave Monks and Nick McKinlay. We’re just finishing up an album right now. I have this band called Bankruptcy and we had finished an album and were sitting on it for a while, unsure of how to put it out. We put it online, and then one day later a record label contacted us and wanted to put it out on vinyl. We deleted it to give it time to get pressed. We were supposed to get out and play this summer, but it’s too bad that now we can’t now.

CB = Who are some of the bands you’re listening to right now?

MS = It’s rough because I was playing live karaoke until last fall and it messed with my taste in music. I had to keep track of over 400 songs because we didn’t know what people would choose to sing. So I was constantly listening to a playlist of our repertoire, keeping all 400+ songs fresh in my mind, hardly ever listening to anything else. Lately I’ve been more into The Inbreds. I got this fun ‘70s synth record called “Plantasia.” It was sold in some plant shop in the ‘70s in LA and was reissued last year. The idea is that it’s scientifically engineered to make your plants happier. It’s really just some synth nerd getting stoned and having fun with his synths. It’s hilarious and really fun to listen to. I really like that Neil Young is dipping into his archival stuff and releasing really nice records of shows from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Two months ago I listened to “Enter the Wu-tang” for the first time and I couldn’t stop listening to that for three days. (laughs)

CB = Do you have any favourite concert films or music documentaries?

MS = I liked one called “Last Days Here.” It’s about the guy from Pentagram. They were this young, promising, Sabbath sounding band in the early ‘70s. Now, he’s in his 60s living with his parents and he’s got a lot of problems. If you think of some people you know who’ve kept trying music for too long and then extend it over an entire lifetime into old age, that’s what this movie shows. There is a concert film I love, it’s Canadian, and called “This is What 110% Smells Like.” It’s about B.A. Johnston. He’s pretty much lived on tour in Canada almost constantly since around 2004. There’s a great Globe and Mail article calling him “the new Stompin’ Tom Connors.” We took a pay cut to play a show with him in Sudbury. We drove him to Toronto from Sudbury so that he could take the bus to Hamilton. More recently, B.A. made a TV show about Hamilton as a tour guide. I know it’s fictional, but I recently watched “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” and I loved it. I remember when “Walk the Line” the Johnny Cash movie came out I hated it, and felt lonely about it. I feel like “Walk Hard” makes fun of all the stuff that I hated about “Walk the Line” when it came out, and I thought, “wow, I’m not alone.” (laughs)

CB = Did the Meligrove Band play last year?

MS = Yeah, we played two songs at a Sloan tribute show. The band The Golden Dogs organized it. I asked if I could join them on bass for a couple of songs, and they came back and asked if the Meligroves would get back together to play. To my surprise everyone was immediately into it. We were just one small part of the show, but it felt really good.

#Michael Small #The Meligrove Band #Interview With Musician #Tokyo Police Club #The Inbreds #Fu*ked Up #Rich Aucoin #The Cybertronic Spree #Sloan

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funnythingshere0-blog · 5 years

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Def Leppard's Joe Elliott On The Rock Hall Nomination, Roxy Music, Elvis, And Much More

New Post has been published on https://funnythingshere.xyz/def-leppards-joe-elliott-on-the-rock-hall-nomination-roxy-music-elvis-and-much-more/

Def Leppard's Joe Elliott On The Rock Hall Nomination, Roxy Music, Elvis, And Much More

BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 11: Joe Elliott performs with Def Leppard at Fenway Park in Boston on Aug. 11, 2018. (Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Thirteen years after becoming eligible, Def Leppard are nominated for the first time for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019. Joining a stellar and diverse list of nominees that ranges from Roxy Music, the Cure and Kraftwerk to Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine and Stevie Nicks, Def Leppard can, as frontman Joe Elliott, add another notch to a resume that includes over 100 millions albums sold, two diamond albums (Pyromania and Hysteria) and a million concert tickets sold just on this recently completed tour with Journey.

Elliott fully credits the fans and the addition of a fan vote for finally getting Leppard their long overdue spot in this conversation. And for Elliott, as he explains in this very fun and fascinating conversation, that ranges from Roxy Music to discussing soccer with Robert Plant, the greatest thing about the Rock Hall honor to him would be sharing it with the Leppard fans.

Steve Baltin: What takes you to Hawaii?

Joe Elliott: We’ve been rehearsing for two days. After we finished this massive tour with Journey in the States we kind of hit the reset button and we’re starting here tonight. We’ve got two shows at the Blaisdell Arena, which is where Elvis did his Aloha From Hawaii comeback in ’73. We played here 35 years ago actually, but we’re doing the whole Hysteria album in sequence in the middle part of the show. So we’ve been here rehearsing for three days.

Baltin: So what one Elvis song from that special would you cover?

Elliott: I have no idea what he played. My Elvis is pre-army Elvis, before I was born. The stuff that I like of Elvis is the black and white Elvis if you like, “Jailhouse Rock.” But I am quite partial to “In The Ghetto,” that was a fantastic song. In fairness we were just in Memphis three months ago and we had a day off there so I did the honorable thing and we went to Graceland again, which has totally changed. I went there in ’83. Without Elvis there wouldn’t have been a plethora of other bands that were more of an influence on us. So we all think of him as the daddy of everything — with Jerry Lee [Lewis], Roy Orbison. They’re important, even if we don’t own a ton of their records we’re very aware of their value and it’s just interesting we’re here and there’s a big statue outside the venue and all that kind of stuff. It reminds you we’re a cog in a huge machine and it’s a good thing to be in.

Baltin: You’re part of a long lineage and in a few months you could be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with them.

Elliott: We weren’t looking for accolades when we got together as kids. We just wanted to be part of everything we grew up listening to. It was like, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could jump on this mad crazy train and have our own carriage?” The station we get on and get off at is kind of irrelevant as long as the ride is fun. And that’s what we’ve been doing for the better part of 40 years. And when you’ve been around this long you do tend to ricochet off different artists of your past and connect with them, whether it be [Pete] Townshend and [Roger] Daltrey last October, when we played with them in Brazil, to knowing Brian May from Queen for 35 years now. And there are a million others in between, It’s not like you feel like you belong, you just feel like you don’t not belong.

Baltin: Have you thought about the Rock Hall over the years you have been eligible?

Elliott: When we were made aware of that we kind of pushed it to one side and plowed on with our career cause the only thing we were really bothered about was making records, playing live, making more records, playing live more often in front of more people. That’s what we do. And then all of a sudden the fans get involved and then we become interested because it literally is about the important people in our lives, which is our audience. And even though, as we all know, the fan voting is one vote our of a thousand votes or whatever it’s the one vote the other 999 can’t help but take notice of because it’s all over the world. It’s in every magazine, on every website, every radio station.

Baltin: I know you are a big Roxy Music fan and it’d be fitting for you and Bryan Ferry to be inducted together. Is there anybody on this year’s list that would make it extra special for you to be inducted with if you get in?

Elliott: It’s funny you should mention that cause I said earlier we’ve been eligible for 13 years and it’s the first time we’ve been nominated. What I find astonishing is it’s the first time Roxy have been nominated and they’ve been eligible for 21. I find that absolutely bizarre because I suppose their argument is how influential were they. Say on a band like Duran Duran 100 percent. Between them and David Bowie’s Ziggy [Stardust] period they pretty much invented alien rock or whatever you want to call it. It was beyond glam. It wasn’t bricklayers in drag. They were actually punching the boundaries of music, especially when [Brian] Eno was on the first two records. The way things were you had this mad scientist with black feathers coming out of his back and this crooner guy dressed either as an army recruit or on his solo records as Frank Sinatra. It was a really bizarre image, but it was so striking and the music was so different. It was drum and bass, guitars, keyboards, but it didn’t sound like anybody else. Maybe this committee that I would imagine are 99 percent based in New York, or at least America, don’t really recognize the value of when “Virginia Plain” hit the airwaves in 1972. But the whole of Great Britain that was between the age of 12 and 16 stopped in their tracks and said, “What the f**k is that?” I don’t think they see that or are even aware that happened. T. Rex were huge.

Baltin: Have you thought about who would induct you?

Elliott: We haven’t even thought about it. You’re the first person who’s brought it up. It’s the first time I’ve actually thought about who we would have induct us because we’ve been nominated, we’re not in. If and when that thing comes in, whatever day you hear in December, that’s when we’ll sit down and go, “Alright, who do we hope we could get to do it.” Because at the end of the day we’ll put a wish list together and they might all say, “I can’t make it, I don’t want to do it” or, “I don’t think I’m appropriate, I don’t like doing that kind of thing, I’m nervous talking in front of people.” It’s gotta be a compromise I imagine. But I will say this much, I would take great pleasure in inducting Ian Hunter should he ever ask me to do it and he gets nominated and accepted because there’s one guy I do totally connect with. If he did get in I’m sure I’d be the first person he’d ask because we’ve now had a history and gone back since I first met him in ’77. But he didn’t know that because I burst into his dressing room as a 17-year-old kid to get his autograph and then I met him briefly in 1980. Then we got to know each other ’87 and ever since…I got onstage with Mott The Hoople when they reformed in 2014. I opened for them on the first tour, Ian’s been onstage with us. I’ve been onstage with him a million times. There’s a connection. I would do that. But I can’t see me getting the nod from Roxy. I genuinely hope they get in because I understand the respect factor of they could go, “Well done, guys, I love it when British bands do as well as you did, but it’s not my cup of tea.” I don’t have a problem with that at all because I can still sit down and talk to Phil Manzanera about coffee, Indian restaurants. I talk to people like Robert Plant all the time and we never discuss music, ever. It’s always soccer. So you can be on a different level with people that understand your success. They give you the thumb’s up and respect you, but they don’t have to be part of it.

Baltin: How do the soccer conversations with Robert Plant go?

Elliott: With Robert we talk soccer. We played the Garden in New York, he was playing the same night so we ended up talking the next day on his way to Toronto and all we discussed was soccer. That’s fine. I’m a realist when it comes to that. They always say, “Never meet your heroes.” That’s never been a problem for me because I don’t expect them to necessarily get what I do cause the kind of music Def Leppard makes doesn’t really have that much of a connection to a lot of the music I grew up listening to. It does to a point, You can hear little bits of other people’s stuff in our music. So much so that when we did the Yeah! album one of the reasons we did it was we actually wanted to show people where we mixed from. So when we did things like “He’s Gonna Step On You Again,” by John Kongos with the tribal drumming, it was a nod to the fact, “Yeah, I was listening to that kind of rhythm stuff when we came up with ‘Rocket.'” We cut “Street Life,” by Roxy Music on that record, because we were huge fans of the band and it was one of those songs we could Leppard-ize that. We could Leppard-ize David Essex, we kind of did a straight-forward cover of “Rock On.” We just wanted to show people where our musical influences laid. And they were Blondie and T. Rex and Bowie and Roxy Music cause we spent 25 years trying to tell the world we weren’t specifically influenced by Zeppelin, Sabbath and Deep Purple and all that kind of stuff. Everybody was trying to shove us in that thing. I said, “Look, they don’t listen when we talk, they’re gonna listen when we sing and dance.” So we recorded songs instead of doing interviews. “These are our influences.” So Roxy Music are part of that, but I’ve got a feeling they’ll probably get someone like Loudon Wainwright to do it (laughs).

Baltin: What bands in the Rock Hall already would you want to do a package tour with a la the Heart, Cheap Trick and Joan Jett “All For The Hall” tour?

Elliott: You name me any bands that we haven’t already toured with. We’ve toured with Journey, with Cheap Trick, with Joan Jett, with Poison, Heart, Foreigner. The last time we went out with a band that weren’t like minded, if you like, was Tripping Daisy in 1996. Trust me, it didn’t work. Lovely guys, very interesting band, but our audience went, “What?” There aren’t that many left.

Baltin: Have you ever done a full tour with Aerosmith?

Elliott: We’ve done festivals with Aerosmith, we’ve done a tour with KISS. Aerosmith would be great, we love Aerosmith. There’s enormous mutual respect from us to them and vice versa. So that’s one band where we get their music. Aerosmith are fantastic, they really are. They’re America’s band. They’ve been through, everybody up and down anything anybody could ever go through or should ever go through and somehow managed to survive it and it’s the original five piece, give or take a few years with Jimmy Crespo, they’ve been the same guys since 1969 or something. That’s kind of mental, it’s really crazy. And you’ve got to have a respect for anybody who hangs in like that, whether it be somebody a generation or two later like U2, Duran Duran to a point, Iron Maiden are all basically the classic lineup to the best of their ability.

Baltin: Are there moments that you can look at as having brought you to the brink of the Rock Hall?

Elliott: When we went out with Poison and Cheap Trick in 2009 that tour was huge. It was one of the tours I can look back at and go it’s part of the trampoline effect of where we’ve arrived at. We’ve had our wilderness years, don’t get me wrong. But even then we were still selling out 10 to 12,000 seaters. But when we went out with Cheap Trick and Poison and a year later I think we went out with Heart we were doing up to 20,000 people because they’re events. And we love being part of event. You’ve got to remember when we were kids growing up and looking at the adverts on the back of Melody Maker or whatever there were so many gigs where it was the Who with special guest Steve Marriott and the Moog. It wasn’t just special guests or plus support, they were like mini-Woodstock’s. And since day one, when we went out in the States we were the special guests for Pat Travers, Judas Priest and Ted Nugent. When we went out in ’83 we had Uriah Heap and had Krokus. Then in ’88 we had Tesla and L.A. Guns in Europe. We’ve never shied away from a band that is visible. We don’t see them as a threat, we see them as an addition. It’s just a better ticket.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebaltin/2018/10/29/def-leppards-joe-elliott-on-the-rock-hall-nomination-roxy-music-elvis-and-much-more/

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riffrelevant · 6 years

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(By Brian Halsey, Staff Writer, RiffRelevant.com)

Where do I start with THE AGE OF TRUTH and their début full length, ‘Threshold‘? What a goddamned beautiful piece of heavy rock.

The first listen was so moving that I took back half of the bad shit I’ve ever said about Philly, the other ten million complaints are just facts, but alas the city may finally be redeemed. ‘Threshold’ is a masterful display of fuzzy riffage and vocally driven horsepower.

THE AGE OF TRUTH crushes a dreamy brand of blues inspired doom, mixed with a voice that is eerily familiar, in a way that is magically nostalgic. The guitar work is sharp and the recording is clear. This band would not sound out-of-place in a dive bar with 28 drunk dudes, or in front of 100,000 screaming fans in an arena.

It’s a really weird vibe to nail down, because to most underground bands, being called a “radio band” is not necessary a compliment. But they are kinda like what a radio band would sound like, if the radio was good. Get it? Every note and melody sounds carefully constructed. Every song is catchy and memorable. There is an extraordinary quality to the aesthetic of Threshold that makes this album an appealing listen for a wide variety of people.

THE AGE OF TRUTH features Kevin McNamara (Vocals), Mike DiDonato (Guitar), Scott Frassetto (Drums, *current) and William Miller (Bass). These guys are totally self-aware of what’s going on here, this is much more a brotherhood than it is a band. Their sound is fluid and cohesive, you don’t really need time to get into the album. It just rocks. Engineered and mixed by Joseph Boldizar at Retro City Studios in Philadelphia, PA, and was mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering Chicago, IL.

Threshold chugs along and does its thing with style. The album sounds tough on every track without trying too hard. THE AGE OF TRUTH has just enough ruggedness to get lumped in with some really strong doom bands, but overall they’re just dishing out hard rock the way it should be done.

Play it loud, or don’t play it at all:

*Eric Fisher was on drums during the recording sessions for Threshold.

I was (un)lucky enough to catch up with some of the dudes from THE AGE OF TRUTH and put their geographically renowned shit-talking skills to the test. With the Eagles finally putting a competitive squad on the field, I thought I’d ask them some questions about their team, album, and unique brand of culture. I’m happy to report they didn’t let me down.

The Age Of Truth

HALSEY – Congrats on Threshold. The album sounds great, it is both unique and familiar at the same time. Could you try and describe the sound you were going for, and how you feel about the outcome?

BILL MILLER – Thank you Brian! We weren’t really going for anything, we just had songs in us and this is how they came out. The idea was to record it as we sound when we get on stage, so we tracked it live using our tones and kept it as real as possible. We had great help, Joe Boldizar from Retro City Studios in Philly is great to work with, and after all of it he is family now.

He let us do all the things we wanted to do and contributed great ideas, as well as a calming sense of confidence as we worked through it. We really do love Threshold, had a great time making it and are proud of how it turned out. It gets better with every listen, which is insane, because we have been with these songs since the very beginning and still love hearing and playing them.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – Well, we basically wrote everything on the spot? Like literally on the spot (beers and other things included😁) and just kept rolling. I wrote a ton of lyrics while working (F U, work!) and that’s how we kinda did it. I just recently got asked to sing for this band by the way. (Craig) Gibbs from Sasquatch and Bill were drinking and texted me that I now sing for The Age Of Truth. Kinda bad ass when Gibbs texts you, you know?

HALSEY – As a band from Philly, I think it’s important to take note of the Eagles current Super Bowl run. What is your prediction for the game?

BILL MILLER – Prediction? Pain.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – I’ll be drinking whiskey, for sure! Go Birds!

HALSEY – What do you say to the people (aka a vast majority of the country) who call you the worst fans in all of football?

BILL MILLER – Seriously? It brings nothing but joy to our hearts. We love that everyone hates. This is Philadelphia, it’s not a fucking Chuck E. Cheese. Pull out all the old clichés about snowballs and batteries, we wear each and every one of them with honor. It keeps all the pussies out and keeps the smart ones with their heads on a fucking swivel. We are the worst fans in all of football, just ask the Vikings fans or everyone else on Faceplant who’s not from Philly. It’s the latest outrage, if you didn’t know. Animals. Scoundrels. Maniacs. It’s all true. We will come into your homes, fucking eat your household pets and leave with your lady, right after drinking all of your beer and pissing on the rug.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – I think it’s nonsense. Yo… every city has its share of assholes! We are no different! I’ve been in Baltimore and Kansas City and the fans were cool, but you always have that element that doesn’t know when to shut it off. It’s a game!

HALSEY – I just saw THE AGE OF TRUTH get some play on the Doom Charts. Great stuff. What accomplishments are you most proud of at this point in the band?

BILL MILLER – Is being the worst fans in football an acceptable answer? If not, just being able to do this thing with a bunch of dudes who all love each other and want nothing but success for each other. We wake up every day, thankful that we get to play music with each other and pull this weird, heavy shit out of each other every single time we get together. At least once a week on the band text thread, someone will say “I love this band”. I hope that never stops.

Some really cool things have happened to us since the record came out in November, you mentioned Doom Charts, which is absolutely an honor to be on that list. Think about it man, 40 different people rated our album. That that alone happened is cool, and that they rated it highly enough that we even showed up on a list like that astounds us. So many cool things, like this interview, have happened and we welcome more. Our band is young, we will be two years old in March, we have a long list of things we want check marks next to before we end up down in that hole.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – That I got to meet Mike and Bill (and Scott I’ve known forever and always loved him as a drummer). We as a band always say after we talk, or whatever, “I love you bro.” It’s what we believe in. It’s a brotherhood always, and a sisterhood. Love our brothers and sisters so much! But for me as a singer? Meeting these amazing three people who became such a huge part in my life… oh and can I say hi to Gina? (Ha… hi gorgeous!)

(Editor’s note: Can confirm, Gina is gorgeous. – Leanne)

HALSEY – Do you have any shows, tours, or festivals planned in the near future?

BILL MILLER – Always playing as much as possible. We are a live band and that’s what we do. Hell, it’s why we do. We all love the experience of making an experience for an audience. This band isn’t about bringing light shows and fireworks and sharks with laser beams, it’s just sweaty, honest, heavy rock. We have been branching out and getting some states added to our list lately, and we want do the same with our passports, but no tours planned at the moment. The Age Of Truth will be at a few US festivals later this year, but they are under wraps for a few more weeks. Come to them even though we can’t advertise them yet. No bullshit, they are gonna be awesome even though we are sworn to secrecy at this time. We are definitely open to more.

HALSEY – If Foles pulls this thing off for the Eagles, will it prove they are a more complete team than people thought, and not just a product of Wentz’s great year? If Nick-folean Dynamite plays lights out and the Eagles win, do you have a quarterback controversy?

BILL MILLER – They are a complete team and they are brothers, you can see it after the games. Those dudes are fighting for the man next to them, it’s a powerful thing. An unstoppable thing. But a quarterback controversy is not gonna happen. Big Dick Nick, as he is known in the locker room, could go out there Sunday and roast a defensive backfield of Ronny Lott, Neon Deion, Steve Atwater and Jesus, and he is still carrying a clipboard next year in week 4. We will always love him forever and he will never pay for another drink again in his life if he makes it happen. But it’s the kid from North Dakota’s job. He’s magical.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – Noooooo Wentz, did this theory evolve? Because that statement is Foles.

HALSEY – The entire band sounds tight, but a lot of reviews focus on the power of your vocals. When did you realize you had the voice of a golden god? Was that something you had to work on, or did you just sound that awesome since birth?

BILL MILLER – Since we are a completely one dimensional band, a better question would be – “are the rest of the band even allowed in the same room as the almighty, majestic, holiness that is the vocalist for this band?” The answer is: only by papal decree.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – No I am genital blessed… stuff is huge… ask around, but at one point I had a tiny peen and just went with it? Ha, no I’m kidding… I love the classic belters. It takes its toll, but I recover quick from the training (one bottle of whiskey a day… you’re welcome.) Walsh, Dio, Shortino, Bonnet, Morrison, Bowie, Ozzy, Anderson, Turner, Springsteen, and most def Peter Gabriel… all these bad motha fuggas… that’s been my source. I get a lot of ‘Cornell’, but Chris had me at one album, Ultra Mega OK, but he never shaped me. Shit, I was too locked in at that point to be shaped. It was already done.

HALSEY – If each band member had to be assigned a character from ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’, who would they be and why?

BILL MILLER – Oddly enough, since it’s Philadelphia, we are those people. Not exactly, but we do show tendencies. ‘Dennis’ sings, ‘Mac’ plays guitar, ‘Charlie’ is on drums, and the ‘Warthog’ plays bass. ‘Cricket’ is our road manager, and the ‘McPoyles’ are everyone trying to stop us. Fuck the McPoyles.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – I’d be the homeless dude.

HALSEY – What are a few things you’d recommend to do around the city (that don’t include climbing greased light poles or fighting police horses)?

BILL MILLER – Don’t ever fuck with an equine cop, ever. Saw a horse with a badge kick some jackass right in the face once, and I guarantee that dipshit is wearing his terrible decision to this day. Philly actually kicks ass. The beer is amazing, the food is peerless, and the scene is special. At every show, all your favorite weirdos show up and it’s a family reunion. You can go to shows by yourself because you know everyone will be there anyway. Just check it out and live like we do, if you come to Philly. Skip most of the tourist bullshit and find a local spot to hang out in and get in arguments with your newest best friend. It’s like that. Bring an edge, but that’s just how you fit in. You won’t really need it, unless you are a jackass.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – Ha, drink with Kevin! Who the fuck punches a horse by the way? Dickhead!

HALSEY – Thank you for your time, is there anything additional you’d like to say about THE AGE OF TRUTH to your listeners?

BILL MILLER – Absolutely. To everyone who has supported this band, buying our record and merch, coming to our shows, or sharing our songs with their friends, thank you. We love you. It’s real. We appreciate every single one of you who gets what we are doing. We have more, too, and we have a feeling if you like where it started, you are gonna love where it is going.

KEVIN MCNAMARA – Our new drummer, Scott, is a beautiful soul who is one of THEE best drummers I’ve ever in my life played with. And I love my brothers in The Age of Truth. Totally random collision of worlds. Thank the gods… new songs underway.

There you have it, eggheads. I can lead you to lager, but I can’t make you buy. THE AGE OF TRUTH. A brotherhood of hard rocking, Philly assholes. If you’re not sold on this band by now, I don’t know what more I can do to help you in life.

The Age Of Truth:

Web / Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp / Spotify / iTunes / Instagram

THE AGE OF TRUTH in NY, NY @ Arlene’s Grocery for Ode To Doom, 11/18/2017

Photos by Leanne Ridgeway (click any photo to open gallery)

Interview w/ THE AGE OF TRUTH – ‘Threshold’ Album Review & Stream; Live Photos From Ode To Doom (NYC) 11/2017 (By Brian Halsey, Staff Writer, RiffRelevant.com) Where do I start with THE AGE OF TRUTH…

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kansascityhappenings · 6 years

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AC/DC founding member Malcolm Young dead at 64

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NEW YORK — Malcolm Young, the rhythm guitarist and guiding force behind the bawdy hard rock band AC/DC who helped create such head-banging anthems as “Highway to Hell,” ”Hells Bells” and “Back in Black,” has died. He was 64.

Members of the Australian rock band AC-DC pose for a photograph after the Rock Walk handprint ceremony September 15, 2000 at the Guitar Center in Hollywood, Ca. From left: Brian Johnson, Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams, Angus Young and Phil Rudd. (Photo / Newsmakers)

AC/DC announced the death Saturday on their official Facebook page and website Saturday. A representative for the band confirmed that the posts were true. The posts did not say when or where Young died, but said the performer had been suffering from dementia. He was diagnosed in 2014.

“It is with deepest sorrow that we inform you of the death of Malcolm Young, beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother. Malcolm had been suffering from Dementia for several years and passed away peacefully with his family by his bedside,” one of the posts read.

The family put out a statement posted on the band’s website calling Young a “visionary who inspired many.”

While Young’s younger brother, Angus, the group’s school-uniform-wearing lead guitarist, was the public face of the band, Malcolm Young was its key writer and leader, the member the rest of the band watched for onstage changes and cutoffs.

AC/DC were remarkably consistent for over 40 years with its mix of driving hard rock, lusty lyrics and bluesy shuffles, selling over 200 million albums, surviving the loss of its first singer and creating one of the greatest rock records ever in “Back in Black,” the world’s second best-selling album behind Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

The Glasgow-born Young brothers — who moved to Sydney, Australia, with their parents, sister and five older brothers in 1963 — formed the band in 1973. They were inspired to choose the high-energy name AC/DC from the back of a sewing machine owned by their sister, Margaret.

Malcolm Young of the Australian rock band AC/DC poses September 15, 2000 at the Rock Walk handprint ceremony at the Guitar Center in Hollywood, Ca. (Photo /Newsmakers)

Angus experimented with several different stage costumes at first — including a gorilla suit and a Zorro outfit — but the school uniform was a natural, since he was only 16 at the time.

The Youngs went through several drummers and bass guitarists, finally settling on Phil Rudd on drums in 1974 and Englishman Cliff Williams on bass three years later. Their original singer was fired after a few months when they discovered Bon Scott, who was originally hired as the band’s driver.

By 1980, the band was on a roll, known for its high energy performances and predictably hard-charging songs. Their album “Highway To Hell” was certified gold in America and made it into the top 25 Billboard album charts, and the single “Touch Too Much” became their first UK Top 30 hit. But on Feb. 18, 1980, everything changed — Scott died of asphyxiation after choking on his own vomit after an all-night drinking binge.

The band decided to keep going and hired English vocalist Brian Johnson at the helm. The newly reconfigured group channeled their grief into songwriting and put out 1980’s “Back In Black,” with the songs “You Shook Me All Night Long,” ”Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” and “Hells Bells.” The cover of the album was black, in honor of Scott’s death.

The band continued with a studio or live album every few years , blending their huge guitar riffs with rebellious and often sophomoric lyrics — song titles include “Big Balls,” ”Beating Around the Bush,” ”Let Me Put My Love Into You” and “Stiff Upper Lip.” AC/DC won only a single Grammy Award, for best hard rock performance in 2009 for “War Machine.”

Rolling Stone said in 1980 that “the AC/DC sound is nothing more and nothing less than aggressively catchy song hooks brutalized by a revved-up boogie rhythm, Malcolm’s jackhammer riffing, Angus’ guitar histrionics and Johnson’s bloodcurdling bawl.”

Malcolm Young of AC/DC’s 1959 Gretsch White Falcon guitar is shown on display at Hard Rock Cafe’s 40th anniversary Memorabilia Tour at Hard Rock Cafe, Times Square on May 18, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

In the book “The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC” by Jesse Fink, Angus Young said the formula worked. “We’ve got the basic thing kids want,” he said. “They want to rock and that’s it. They want to be part of the band as a mass. When you hit a guitar chord, a lot of the kids in the audience are hitting it with you. They’re so much into the band they’re going through all the motions with you. If you can get the mass to react as a whole, then that’s the ideal thing. That’s what a lot of bands lack, and why the critics are wrong.”

AC/DC’s infectious, driving sound stretched further than rock arenas. The song “Shoot to Thrill” was heard in the film “The Avengers,” ”Back in Black” made it into “The Muppets,” ”Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” was played in “Bridesmaids” and their songs were included in the “Iron Man” franchise. On TV, the band’s music was heard in everything from “Top Gear,” the “Hawaii Five-0” reboot, “Glee,” ”CSI: Miami” and “The Voice.”

Though the band championed good-natured hell-raising, it had to weather suggestions in the 1980s that they were a threat to the moral fabric of society. There were rumors the band’s name stood for Anti-Christ/Devil’s Children and many were shocked when it was learned that serial murderer and rapist Richard Ramirez identified himself as a fan and left an AC/DC baseball cap behind at a crime scene.

In 2014, the band released “Rock or Bust,” the first AC/DC album without Malcolm Young. Even so, he is very present on the record since the 11 songs are credited to the Young brothers (Angus said he built the album from guitar hooks the two had accumulated over the years).

(LtoR) Singer Brian Johnson performs next to guitarists Malcolm Young and Angus Young of Australian legendary hard rock band AC/DC at the Palais Omnisport of Paris Bercy, on September 15, 1984 in Paris. (JEAN-CLAUDE COUTAUSSE/AFP/Getty Images)

Around the album’s release, Angus Young told The Associated Press that Malcolm was doing fine, but that he couldn’t perform anymore.

“It was progressing further, but he knew he couldn’t do it,” Angus Young said of his older brother’s dementia. “He had continued as long as he could, still writing. But he said to me, ‘Keep it going.’”

The fate of the band was also put into doubt by the retirement of Williams, legal trouble for Rudd and Johnson’s hearing loss, which forced him to leave. The band enlisted Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose to sing on tour in 2016.

Several musicians paid their respects to Malcolm Young on social media, writing about his influence and impact in music.

“It is a sad day in rock and roll. Malcolm Young was my friend and the heart and soul of AC/DC. I had some of the best times of my life with him on our 1984 European tour,” Eddie Van Halen tweeted on Saturday. “He will be missed and my deepest condolences to his family, bandmates and friends.”

“The driving engine of AC/DC has died. A tragic end for a sometimes unsung icon. One of the true greats. RIP,” Paul Stanley, of Kiss, wrote on Twitter.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports http://fox4kc.com/2017/11/18/ac-dc-founding-member-malcolm-young-dead-at-64/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2017/11/18/ac-dc-founding-member-malcolm-young-dead-at-64/

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