Classic Hits

Def Leppard is getting ready to launch their Summer Stadium Tour with Journey, and guitarist Phil Collen is excited for what’s in store.

The two bands previously toured together in 2018, and Collen tells ABC Audio that it’s a pairing that works well.

“We always do great with Journey, even when Journey are not doing great with themselves,” he says, adding he’s a “huge fan” of the band.

Collen says that with the recent 40th anniversary of their third studio album, Pyromania, fans can expect the set list to “lean heavily” on that album. He also says they plan to clean things up from some of their previous tours, noting, “We’ve got rid of a lot of chaff.” 

“When I say that, I mean, you know, stuff that bands do that you don’t realize you’re doing,” he explains. “We don’t need to waffle on and do this here and audience participation that lasts so long that you could actually fit another song in there.”

He notes, “We’ve kind of really surgically … chopped things up and made it just way more exciting.”

The tour marks another summer Def Leppard is spending headlining stadiums, and for Collen there’s nothing better.

“I think when you start playing, that’s the dream is to be able to do that and, you know, the bigger the better,” he says. “You get your rock star on. … It’s really cool.” 

Def Leppard and Journey’s Summer Stadium Tour, with special guests Steve Miller Band and Cheap Trick, kicks off Saturday in St. Louis. A complete list of dates can be found at defleppard.com.

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While Hootie & the Blowfish were racking up huge hits in the ’90s, like “Only Wanna Be With You,” there was one particular song of the era that frontman Darius Rucker wishes he wrote.

Speaking with the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Rucker shares that he and his Hootie bandmates were jealous of the Stone Temple Pilots track “Interstate Love Song.”

“It just sounded perfect on the radio and it was so hard,” Rucker says. “You know, why can’t we play that?” 

Flash forward some 30 years and Hootie is covering “Interstate Love Song” during their current tour.

“Now I guess we’re just old dudes. We play whatever we want to play,” Rucker says. “So I love rocking that song.”

Hootie’s tour also features another ’90s alt vet on the bill, Collective Soul. The outing continues July 10 in Denver.

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Elton John headlined England’s Glastonbury Festival in 2023, and he just revealed the surprising gift he received from Paul McCartney following the performance.

At one point during the Glastonbury set Elton was heard complaining about his pants falling down, which apparently prompted the gift from McCartney. 

During a Glastonbury-focused online Q&A, Elton was asked why his pants were dropping during the show and he replied, “Because they were too big!”

He then revealed that McCartney, who was on hand to witness the set, later sent him gold suspenders “to keep my trousers up the next week,” noting the gift “made me laugh so much!”

Elton’s Glastonbury set was his first time playing the iconic festival. It was also his final U.K. performance. He retired from the road in July 2023 after a show in Stockholm, Sweden.

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Sammy Hagar is getting ready to kick off his The Best of All World tour, and he’s giving fans a sneak peek at what to expect.

The rocker has been sharing clips of rehearsals on Instagram, including one with him and the band – Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Jason Bonham – performing the Van Halen track “Poundcake” from the album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. And for those who don’t think Satriani can fill the late Eddie Van Halen‘s shoes, the clip ends with a taste of an epic Satriani guitar solo.

In another clip, Sammy gives fans a look at Bonham’s drum kit, which the drummer says features “a surprise,” to which Sammy exclaims, “I love surprises.”

Sammy then added a clip of the band performing the OU812 track “When It’s Love,” sharing, “Last night’s ending of rehearsal felt like the beginning of something great,” adding a variety of hashtags, including #10days, #enjoyingrehearsals and #Cantwaitforthistour.

Hagar’s The Best of All World tour, which will have him performing Van Halen classics along with solo tunes and tracks from his other bands, The Circle and Chickenfoot, kicks off July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at redrocker.com.

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Pink Floyd fans who are holding out hope for a reunion are bound to be disappointed.

In a new interview with Reuters, Roger Waters was asked if there was any chance of him performing with his former Pink Floyd bandmates Nick Mason and David Gilmour again. He replied, “No, whatever for?” He added that “it’s not in me.”

Waters says he doesn’t “regret” their last reunion in 2005 at Live 8 in London, particularly because keyboardist Rick Wright was still alive at the time.

“We played reasonably well and the people liked it,” he said. “And so I’m really, really glad. Do I want to do anything like (it)? No, I don’t, particularly as there’s only three of us left alive.”

Waters insists his feelings about a reunion have “nothing to do with any rancor or anything.” Referring to his public spats with Gilmour, he notes, “David and I are very, very different people and that’s okay.”

Besides, Roger says he’s “busy doing other things,” including working on a new album, The Bar, and a memoir. He adds, “I’m a busy chap.”

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Deep Purple has shared another new single from their upcoming album, =1.

The latest is the track “Lazy Sod,” the third song they’ve released from the album, following “Pictures of You” and “Portable Door.” 

You can listen to “Lazy Sod” now via digital outlets.

=1, Deep Purple’s first album of new material since 2020’s Whoosh!, will be released July 19. According to the press release, the title “symbolizes the idea that in a world growing ever more complex, everything eventually simplifies down to a single, unified essence. Everything equals one.”  

It is available for preorder now. 

Deep Purple, currently made up of frontman Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, keyboardist Don Airey and guitarist Simon McBride, will kick off their North American =1 More Time tour on Aug. 14 in Hollywood, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at deeppurple.com.

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On This Day, July 3, 1971 …

The Doors frontman Jim Morrison was found dead in a bathtub in his apartment in Paris, France. He was discovered by his girlfriend, Pam Courson.

Morrison was 27 at the time of his death, with the official cause of death listed as heart failure, although there have been conspiracy theories surrounding his death for years.

He was buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, where both Oscar Wilde and Édith Piaf are buried. The location has since become a tourist attraction. 

Morrison co-founded The Doors with Ray Manzarek in July 1965. Drummer John Densmore joined in August of that year, followed by guitarist Robby Krieger.

The band released their self-titled debut in January 1967, containing future classics “Light My Fire” and “Break On Through (To The Other Side).” “Light My Fire” has since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, with the album chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2015. 

The Doors went on to sell over 34 million records worldwide and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

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Sheila E is one of the many performers booked for the annual PBS special A Capitol Fourth, and she’s looking forward to celebrating our nation’s independence in Washington, D.C., for the first time.

“I think just the celebration in itself is pretty exciting for our first time being here [in D.C.],” she tells ABC Audio. “And I love that this is something new for me and my band.”

Sheila says fans can expect her to play a medley of tunes, which will include her hit “The Glamorous Life.”

“I have to play that. I think that’s what people want to hear,” she says. “We have a short window to present to the people some exciting music and I think they’ll enjoy it. They’ll definitely dance.”

Being in D.C. means Sheila won’t be spending July Fourth with her family, sharing that her typical Independence Day includes a barbecue, with her mom making her special potato salad, which Sheila says “is the best ever.”

She says, “Traditionally we’re outside and barbecuing and playing games, and just having fun with the family and some friends.” 

A Capitol Fourth, America’s longest-running live national Fourth of July TV tradition, will air Thursday at 8 p.m. ET and will feature a telecast of the fireworks live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Other performers include Smokey Robinson, Sister Sledge featuring Slegendary, Fantasia, Darren Criss, Fitz and Noelle from Fitz and The Tantrums, and the National Symphony Orchestra.

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Guitarist Mike Campbell is currently out on the road with his band The Dirty Knobs, and fans who come to see them can expect him to revisit his days with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Campbell tells ABC Audio that now that he’s recorded three albums with The Dirty Knobs, including their recent release, Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits, the set list is mostly filled with that material, but he also includes three or four Petty songs each night.

“I like doing those songs now and it’s always good for the audience, too,” he shares, “and I feel close to Tom when we do them … it’s a spiritual thing.”

Campbell says he feels “very comfortable” singing the tunes he recorded with Petty, because nobody knows them better. 

“I know there’s a lot better singers than me out there, but if it’s a song that Tom and I wrote together, I understand how it’s supposed to sound and how it’s supposed to be delivered, the personality of it, maybe more than somebody who’s a proper singer,” he shares. “I know how to present the songs the way they’re supposed to feel.” 

And while Petty may no longer be with us, Campbell knows that by continuing to perform his music he’s keeping the legacy alive for fans. 

“You know, songs are magical and a good song will live, you know, and bad songs will just fade away,” he says. “And I think we’ve got a lot of good material that will last a long time.”

Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs’ tour hits Des Moines, Iowa, on July 3, with dates confirmed through Aug. 16. A complete schedule can be found at thedirtyknobs.com.

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Devon Allman is back with new music.

The musician, son of Gregg Allman and member of the Allman Betts Band, will release the new album Miami Moon on Aug. 16. The record will be Devon’s first solo album since 2016’s Ride or Die.

The album was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, where the Allman Brothers Band‘s Eat a Peach and Eric Clapton’s Layla were recorded, with Devon noting the history of the studio “made for a very special setting for us all to work in.”

“We kept it fun and we kept it funky … we ordered Cuban food, watched the NBA and jammed in a circle for days,” he adds. “In a world where you can make records in the basement or your bedroom, I’m so grateful to have done this record in a classic manner.” 

Devon is set to give fans a preview of the record with the release of the first single, “White Horse,” which will be released Thursday.

Miami Moon is available for preorder now.

In the meantime, Devon has dates throughout July with both the Devon Allman Project and the Allman Betts Band. A complete list of dates can be found at devonallmanproject.com.

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