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VIEW HEAVY AUSTRALIAN CONTENT DIGIMAG #281 HERE Electric Callboy are the gift that keeps on giving. Since they first visited these shores as a relatively unknown band back in 2023 their star has risen rapidly, to the point they are now one of the most loved and recognisable bands in the world. So with their […]

Paramedics performed chest compressions and used a defibrillator

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Interview by Angela Croudace Few musical trajectories in recent Australian heavy music history have matched the breakneck, neon-soaked velocity of Germany’s electronicore powerhouses Electric Callboy. What began as a wildly packed, early-afternoon curiosity slot at Good Things Festival 2022 has evolved into a full-blown love affair with the Southern Hemisphere. Aussie audiences quickly proved they […]

Review by Jo Jo Anthony
Photos by Joe Schaeffer

As part of their Windy Cities Tour, veteran and Chicago-based bands Chicago and Styx returned to Southern California and were welcomed by an enthusiastic sold-out crowd in Palm Desert. I had never been to this venue, and I was immediately impressed with the layout. The sound for both bands was fantastic.

Styx opened with the fan favorite “Fooling Yourself” from their triple Platinum album, 1977’s The Grand Illusion. I was immediately taken back to my first Styx concert in 1977 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles. One of the first things that caught my attention was just how good the bands’ vocals were. Tommy Shaw still has the same amazing voice he had 50 years ago. Much to my delight, they followed with “Lorelei” from 1975 Equinox  Once again, another song that displayed the vocals talents from this band.

The next song was a newer track “Build and Destroy” from 2025’s Circling From Above. I purchased a copy of the CD at the venue and after one listen, I really like the recording. Not many Vintage Rock bands will stray away from their hits to feature new material on stage. My respect for Styx increased even more by introducing this song.

The band’s first Top 10 single, 1973’s “Lady” was next and keyboardist Lawrence Gowan’s lead vocals were just captivating. He literally captured the essence of the original recording. Styx followed with more classic songs like “Too Much Time On My Hands,” from 1981’s Paradise Theater and “The Grand Illusion.’’

Another pleasant surprise was “Light Up,” another one from Equinox, the very first Styx album I ever purchased. This was followed by a powerful performance of “Crystal Ball” from the album of the same name, released in 1976. Shaw played a 12-string acoustic guitar on the opening half of the song and was followed by the rest of the players with immense power and dynamic backing vocals.

Styx closed their set with “Come Sail Away” and once again Lawrence Gowan’s vocals were superb. They encored with “Mr. Roboto” and “Renegade.”

Chicago followed and hit the stage with an eclectic set of hit songs from their long and historic catalog. Opening “Dialogue” from 1972’s Chicago V. Like Styx, Chicago also concentrated on their numerous hits over the course of their 60-year career.

Veteran trumpet player Lee Loughnane, the only original member of Chicago is performing with the talented 10-piece band and literally four different members handling the lead vocals on various songs. Covering the works of Peter Cetera, Robert Lamm, and the late Terry Kath is not an easy task, but the band pulls it off. Two other original members, Robert Lamm and trombonist James Pankow, recently retired from touring. Both men were paid tribute to on the large screen behind the band during the performance.

The set featured such classics like “If You Leave Me Now,” “Beginnings” and “Hard Habit to Break.” Loughnane reminisced with the audience on the days early in the bands’ career when Chicago was a covers bar band covering classic songs and the band then performed the classic “Higher and Higher” by the legendary Jackie Wilson. The song transitioned into “I’m a Man,” a Spencer Davis Group song Chicago covered on their debut album.

One of the most entertaining segments of the concert was the drum solo performed by Walfredo Reyes Jr., performing alongside percussionist Ramon Yslas. The two squared off in a duel with one another trading drum chops. What made it fun was when the two literally switched instruments and continued battling one another before returning to their original instruments. Of course, the audience loved it. What rock fan who grew up in the 1970s doesn’t love a drum solo?

Chicago closed with a medley featuring two of my favorite songs from the band, “Saturday in the Park” and “Feeling Stronger Everyday,” which closed the show. They would return for an encore with “25 or 6 to 4,” featuring some amazing guitar work from guitarist Tony Obrohta.

Both Chicago and Styx may not feature all their original members, but both  feature some amazing players who did one hell of job with the music. I tend to believe that most fans have little concern for who is in the band as long as they hear the songs they came to hear.

These fans love nostalgia, and they want to be reminded of a far simpler time in their lives driving around in their first car packed with friends listening to the music of their youth. Tonight, seeing both Styx and Chicago brought back those memories for me.

Williams was wrestling as The Butcher when he reportedly collapsed and required CPR. He was later transported to a local hospital. Continue reading…

Buffalo, New York’s Perilous, a foursome I consider one of the best old school punk rock ‘n’ roll bands currently operating, has just unleashed an absolute anthem for these times on its new digital single. A title like “Overwhelmed By Reality” pretty well summarizes the zeitgeist of 2026, doesn’t it? At a moment when there are so many things at the personal and worldly levels to make us anxious, fearful, or just plain depressed, coping with reality really can be an overwhelming, emotionally draining thing. It’s as if the one thing that actually unites us all is the acknowledgement that everything sucks. In true Perilous fashion, this song pairs this dark, highly topical subject matter with upbeat, hook-laden power pop punk rock that throws it back to the classic music you grew up on. Pauline really pours her heart into that lead vocal, and this song is as rocking as it is relevant. Perilous just keeps on bringing the hits! On the B-side, “Rock & Roll Runaway,” Bob Cat takes on lead vocals and really leans into his love for the Ramones and the timeless ’60s sounds that inspired them. It’s a fun, simple punk rock song that contrasts nicely with the A-side.  

Whether you call this type of music old school punk, classic punk, or just plain rock ‘n’ roll, Perilous are one of the bands keeping it alive. And they are doing it with joy, passion, and enthusiasm. Anything they put out is in the must-buy category, and of course that’s true of “Overwhelmed By Reality”! $2.99 won’t even get you a gallon of gas these days, but it will get you this thumper of a digital 45!

Video .

The post Video footage and setlist from Quiet Riot’s second show with Jason McMaster filling in on lead vocals first appeared on Sleaze Roxx.

The wah-wah guitar pedal was a relatively new invention in 1968, when Jimi Hendrix used it to devastating effect on the unforgettable introduction of Voodoo Child (Slight Return), and while that intro is the song’s most memorable feature, Hendrix treats the entire composition as a vehicle for expression.

He alternates between rhythm and lead playing at the blink of an eye, and both riffs and solos frequently pan from left to right to add to the swaying, hypnotic nature of the performance. His guitar parts are backed up by the solid, unwavering playing of bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, who allow him the breathing space he needs to take the dynamics down and up.

“If you listen to Voodoo Child, you can hear the way the room just resonates,” engineer Eddie Kramer told The Recording Engineer’s Handbook. “That’s because I had mics everywhere, and the fact that Jimi was singing live too! I wasn’t afraid of recording an artist in the room live as he was cutting. To me, anything that was in the room was fair game to be recorded. Don’t forget that I had an artist who was an absolute genius, so it made life a lot simpler.”

Released in a format somewhere between a single and an EP – Voodoo Child (Slight Return) was backed with Hey Joe and Hendrix’s immortal cover of Bob Dylan’s All Along The Watchtower – the song remains another reason for Hendrix’s reputation as a man for whom a guitar was not simply an instrument.

As his devotees believe, his iconic Fender Stratocaster was a vehicle for the expression of his essential soul. Which legendary guitarist hasn’t played at least part of this song at some point or other in their career? It has been hailed as an all-time classic by Joe Satriani among many others, who praised it as the very peak of guitar creativity, and has been covered by players as varied as Yngwie Malmsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughan – who employed it to quell a bottle-throwing crowd at the Reading Festival in 1982 – and Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe.

Other bands who have taken a shot at the track include Extreme, Pearl Jam, Earth, Wind & Fire, Neal Schon, Tom Morello and Pride And Glory, the last of whom featured Hendrix devotee Zakk Wylde. In the world of hip-hop, it’s been sampled by a plethora of A-listers including Mos Def, 2 Live Crew, the Beastie Boys, Schoolly D, Ice-T and Del the Funky Homosapien.

Note that this song is not to be confused with Voodoo Chile, a much longer and more freeform blues workout played alongside the great Steve Winwood. Both songs are found on Electric Ladyland (1968), the third and final album recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Indeed, …Child was based on …Chile, as a shorter, more succinct song that grew from the longer original, with the addition of several key parts such as that heavily wah-wah’ed introduction.

Just to add to the complexities, Voodoo Child was actually released as a single after Hendrix’s death in 1970 under the title Voodoo Chile, without the distinguishing (Slight Return). As the man himself said, was this love or just confusion?

Fittingly, Voodoo Child (Slight Return) was the last song Hendrix sang, at the Love + Peace Festival on the Isle of Fehmarn, off the coast of northern Germany in the Baltic Sea. Ironically, the final lines of the song – the final lines that Hendrix would ever sing in public – almost preshadowed his death: ‘If I don’t see you no more in this world/I’ll meet you in the next one and don’t be late, don’t be late.’

Pulling for the big man.

The post Andy Williams (Atomic Rule, Ex-Every Time I Die) Suffered A Serious Medical Emergency At A Pro Wrestling Event Tonight (Updated) appeared first on Theprp.com.

Well here’s something really amazing! Patton is a musical project formed by, of course, the Pattons, to celebrate their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. You know I love family bands! This single has been in the works for quite some time, but it was kept a super top secret until today. Given that more than a few Vista Blue fans frequent this site, I can say with great confidence that a lot of you are going to love this Vista Blue–related project. Mike is on guitar. Todd is on bass. Brett, I believe for the first time since The Loblaws days, is singing lead! Mike’s kids Nolan and Alana both play drums. Mike’s wife Donna sings some harmony vocals. Beyond me saying that I hope a full Patton album will one day happen, I’m just so moved by this digital single (a Bandcamp exclusive). Imagine if you possessed musical talent and used it to create something this beautiful for your parents/grandparents/in-laws on the date of their 50th anniversary. That’s a sweet and special thing. 

The A-side is a punched-up cover of The Eagles’ classic “The Best of My Love.” While my 25-year-old self would have been deeply ashamed that I’d ever refer to any Eagles song as a “classic,” 55-year-old me is a total sucker for ’70s soft rock. So I was pretty stoked by the song choice. If you are familiar with the bittersweet lyrics and are wondering why this song is appropriate for an occasion like this, well, this was the song that the happy couple danced to at their wedding 50 years ago! So of course it had to be the lead track. Man, Brett totally smashed that vocal! 

On the B-side, “Apartment C” is an ode to the old Patton family residence in Chalmette, Louisiana. It’s an upbeat, poppy original that’s lovingly sentimental without being sappy. Writing a song for your parents’ 50th anniversary has to be a daunting task. You don’t want to screw it up. You don’t want to lay it on too thick. What we have here with “Apartment C” is simply perfect. If this song doesn’t have you a little misty-eyed, you might be a robot or something monstrous like a Crimson Tide fan (I kid). And how about a shout-out to Chris for that guitar solo! 

A lesser family band might have claimed its name was inspired by Van Halen, but Patton will tell you that they are emulating Nelson. Since I’ve been willing to die on the hill of Nelson being a good band for 35 years, I fully endorse the choice. 50 years ago, a couple of teenagers fell in love, got married, and formed a family. This single is a celebration of all of that. Think of all these amazing people playing on this record who would never have existed if these two people had not believed in each other and taken a leap of faith together! I’m grateful that this single, which was created for a private family celebration, has been made available to the world at large. I think people will be moved by it. I think people will tap into the joy it exudes. If you could somehow quantify the amount of love that went into these two songs, Rate Your Music would have to adjust its algorithms and allow six-star reviews. Happy anniversary, Cindy and Mike!