MetalSucks

In the “yeah, right” department, Metallica uber-Management firm Q Prime has denied rumors that Metallica will play the 2008 edition of Bonnaroo, the annual 4-day festival in Manchester, Tennessee. The rumor was started by an anonymous tip sent to industry pundit Bob Lefsetz.

Led Zeppelin’s management, meanwhile, is mum on the report.

Who wants to take bets as to how long it will be until Metallica is announced as a headliner for Bonnaroo 2008? I’ll wager my copy of Suck Anger.

-VN

According to an anonymous tip sent to industry pundit Bob Lefsetz, Metallica and Led Zeppelin are confirmed for next year’s Bonnaroo festival, the annual 4-day hippie and hipster fest in Manchester, Tennessee. Tool played last year’s event, marking a big departure from the usual array of jam bands and blog-flavor-of-the-moment indie rock bands.

Led Zeppelin I can see; generations of people of all types of music grew up listening to Zeppelin. But won’t Metallica be the odd one out? I’d have to imagine that many attendees chose to go to a different stage while Tool was on last year; Maynard himself called everyone a bunch of “crazy hippies.” Or has Metallica reached that level of mainstream ubiquity where they’ll actually go over well with a bunch of snot-nosed indie rockers singing along to “Enter Sandman”?

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According to an article at MonstersandCritics.com, an aide to Led Zeppelin claims “no decision has been made” as to whether they will follow up their comeback concert at London’s O2 arena on December 10 with a globetrotting series of shows. The rumor mill swirled last week after Cult singer Ian Astbury announced at a show in Cincinnati that The Cult would open a 2008 tour for a band whose name had an “L” and “Z” in it. Jimmy Page himself seems to think a reunion is inevitable; “It’s a bit selfish to do just one show. If that’s it, we probably shouldn’t have taken the genie out of the bottle.”

But Led Zep fans will have to wait at least a little longer to see their heroes, as Robert Plant has announced that he will tour in early 2008 with Alison Kraus to promote the pair’s wildly successful collaborative CD Raising Sand. Even so, we think it’s pretty far-fetched to imagine a full tour wouldn’t happen in these reunion-happy times.

In related news, The UK’s The Sun reports that the band is having to rearrange some classic tracks to accommodate Page and Plant’s physical limitations due to age. The band has been rehearsing some songs in a lower key because 59-year-old Plant’s voice is deeper. Says the sun, “He and guitarist Jimmy Page have had a few heated discussions about the upcoming gig. Jimmy is a bit rusty and Robert has been struggling with the high notes. To avoid any embarrassing vocal wobbles with the world watching, they decided it would be best to transpose the songs in a lower key.”

Jason Bonham was unavailable for comments as to whether he would have to transpose his drum parts.

-VN

The inevitable looks like it will come true; MTV.com reports that at a club show in Cincinnati this past Saturday, the Cult’s Ian Astbury announced to the audience that they would be opening for a band in 2008 whose name started with an “L” and a “Z,” spilling the beans for what was presumably supposed to be kept under wraps.

This comes as a shock to pretty much no-one in these reunion-happy times, but it’s still a news-worthy bit. Spokespeople from both the Cult and Zeppelin camps declined to comment, furthering the chances that the Astbury-initiated rumors are true.

If it is true, sure sucks to be one of those suckers who ponied up $2,000+ for airfare and tickets to the London reunion next month.

-VN

We guess that this song, from Led Zeppelin I, is a good one to start the week: it’s a happy go lucky song, one of their more poppier tunes that brings a smile to your face, especially after a few pulls… and when that solo kicks in our whole van starts air-guitaring.

Led Zeppelin – “Good Times, Bad Times”

Visit Arsonists Get All the Girls on MySpace.

Those who coughed up thousands for black-market tickets and thousands more for travel plans will have to wait just a little bit longer to see Led Zeppelin reunite on stage; the November 26 gig has been pushed back to December 10 because guitarist Jimmy Page fractured his finger. Tickets to the original show will be honored and refunds will be available.

I guess if you already spent a few thousand on the tickets, travel, hotels, someone to watch the kids, etc, what’s a few hundred more to get everything changed? And, since there presumably will be some refunds given due to conflicting plans, does this mean there will be another lottery? YAY! Let the insanity ensue.

-VN

Things never cease to be interesting with these polls. We didn’t expect to find many readers willing to shell out $2,000+ on a trip to see Led Zeppelin, but come on, surely… ah, nevermind. Here are the results of last week’s poll, which asked “What is the Led Zepellin reunion show worth to you?”

• “I’ll pay whatever it takes, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity!”
  14 votes (9%)
• “$1,000 + airfare + hotels is a stretch, but worth it for me.”
  8 votes (5%)
• “If I could get a ticket at the $250 face value it would be worth the trip and travel expenses.”
  13 votes (8%)
• “The $250 face value sounds about right, but the travel costs make it impossible.”
  53 votes (33%)
• “Who cares? I wouldn’t trade a bag of dirty socks to see those old hags.”
  71 votes (45%)

Wow. Harsh words. But again, the people have spoken.

-VN

Do we really need this? The Pulse of Radio reports [via Blabbermouth] that Godsmack will release a greatest hits collection called Good Times, Bad Times – 10 Years of Godsmack on November 20. Someone please tell an inquiring mind when there were actually good times involving Godsmack — I literally spent my 5 years in the Midwest changing the station whenever a Godsmack song would come on, only to find the other rock station also playing Godsmack (or worse, Nickelback). It was something like radio purgatory. Anyhoo, the greatest hits collection will include a newly recorded slaughtering version of the title track, originally done by Led Zeppelin.

The report also says that the band will follow their fellow suck-buddies in Nickelback by taking an “extended, indefinite break following the release of the hits compilation.” Thank the fucking lord. But singer Sully Erna couldn’t depart without a message for all the fans: “We’re not going away, we are just gonna take a break and enjoy our 10th year anniversary, and kind of recharge our batteries. And then Godsmack will be back, and we will come back bigger and badder than ever.” Make sure you’re holed away in your bomb shelters and you’ve got your very best ear plugs when this happens.

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With only 20,000 lucky winners out of over 1 million registrants, ticket scalping is rampant for the upcoming Led Zeppelin reunion show in London. Despite the best efforts of anti-scalping tactics, auctions for passcodes to buy tickets are being hawked on eBay for as much as £500 (that’s over $1,000!). The Led Zep reunion is cool and all… but come on, really? So we’re wondering what our U.S. readers think, taking into account the insane £ to $ conversion rate and the need for airfare and hotels: what is the Led Zeppelin reunion show worth to you? Our U.K. and other international readers should feel free to chime in with comments as well.

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