ASIA Drummer's E. Coli Infection Forces Cancellations

ASIA, featuring the original lineup of Geoff Downes (keyboards), Steve Howe (guitar), Carl Palmer (drums) and John Wetton (lead vocals, bass), has been forced to cancel its 30th-anniversary U.K. tour due to Palmer coming down with a severe case of E. coli.

Tickets are refundable from the point of purchase.

Affected dates:

Dec. 15 - Tavistock, UK - The Wharf
Dec. 16 - Holmfirth, UK - Picturedrome
Dec. 17 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Queen’s Hall
Dec. 19 - Salisbury, UK - City Hall
Dec. 20 - Birmingham, UK - Town Hall
Dec. 21 - Manchester, UK - Royal Northern College of Music
Dec. 22 - London, UK - O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

ASIA released its latest studio album, "XXX" (pronounced Triple X) via Frontiers Records on June 29 in Europe and July 3 in North America. The new record, produced by Mike Paxman, which is being hailed as ASIA's best album since its classic early '80s releases, was made available as a CD, collector's-edition CD/DVD (featuring new music videos and
behind-the-scenes footage), and on vinyl (limited edition Europe only).
Original artwork for "XXX" was created by Roger Dean.

In addition, ASIA has also released "Resonance", a DVD concert film of the group's 2010/2011 Omega World Tour, captured live in Switzerland. The effort came out at the end of November.

ASIA is:

Geoff Downes - keyboards
Steve Howe - guitar
Carl Palmer - drums
John Wetton - bass and vocals

ASIA forced to cancel 30th Anniversary UK Tour

ASIA, featuring the original line-up of Geoff Downes (keyboards),  Steve Howe (guitar), Carl Palmer (drums) and John Wetton (Lead Vocal, bass), has been forced to cancel the 30^th Anniversary UK Tour due to drummer Carl Palmer coming down with a severe case of E. coli.  

Tickets are refundable from the point of purchase.

A list of the cancelled dates are as follows –

Tavistock The Wharf (Dec 15)

Holmfirth Picturedrome (Dec 16)

Edinburgh Queen’s Hall (Dec 17)

Salisbury City Hall (Dec 19)

Birmingham Town Hall (Dec 20)

Manchester Royal Northern College of Music (Dec 21)  

London o2 Shepherds Bush Empire (Dec 22)

Jazz-Fusion and Prog Legends Join Together On New CD Release 'The Fusion Syndicate'

Jazz-Fusion and Prog Legends Join Together On New CD Release 'The Fusion Syndicate'

Features performances by members of the biggest names in Fusion and Prog including Mahavishnu Orchestra, Yellowjackets, Brand X, Soft Machine, Spyrogyra, Yes, Dream Theater, King Crimson, Tool, Porcupine Tree, Hawkwind and more!

October 10, 2012- Los Angeles, CA - One of the most amazing collection of jazz-fusion and progressive rock legends ever to assemble on one CD has happened with the new release by The Fusion Syndicate, available October 16, 2012 on Purple Pyramid Records. Brought together by multi-instumentalist, producer Billy Sherwood (Yes, CIRCA:), who gave us the fascinating release by the Prog Collective earlier this year. Now, Billy has produced, recorded and written tracks for a new jazz-rock-fusion supergroup of musical virtuosos – The Fusion Syndicate!

Featuring! Rick Wakeman, Jerry Goodman, Nik Turner, Jimmy Haslip, Steve Stevens, Jordan Rudess, Mel Collins, Billy Cobham, Jay Beckenstein, Billy Sheehan, Gavin Harrison, David Sancious, Larry Coryell, Derek Sherinian, Eric Marienthal, Chester Thompson, Steve Morse, Jim Beard, Randy Brecker, Percy Jones, John Etheridge, Tony Kaye, Chad Wackerman, Steve Hillage, Scott Kinsley, Theo Travis, Justin Chancellor and Asaf Sirkis – Produced by Billy Sherwood

“When I was asked to write/produce a fusion record I jumped at the chance. I've always had a deep love of Jazz and Fusion music having grown up listening to Weather Report, Return To Forever, the Mahavishnu Orchestra among many others in the genre. The record has become a musical dream team, including some of the world's most reknowned players in the field. The music reflects a time when virtuosity was the standard and incredible musicianship was the order of the day. Each artist sharing their talent and skill, blending it all into a bigger musical picture, creating an amazing expression of unity and purpose. I'm honored to be a part of it all and I thank all the artists who joined me on this journey, they have all lifted the music to a higher level.” - Billy Sherwood, producer

Tracks include:

1. Random Acts Of Science – Rick Wakeman (Yes), Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra), Nik Turner (Hawkwind), Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets/Alan Holdsworth)
2. Stone Cold Infusion – Steve Stevens, Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater/Liquid Tension Experiment), Mel Collins (King Crimson), Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree), Billy Cobham (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
3. Molecular Breakdown – Jay Beckenstein (Spyrogyra), Billy Sheehan (Steve Vai), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree), David Sancious (The E Street Band)
4. Particle Accelerations – Larry Coryell, Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater/Black Country Communion), Eric Marienthal (Chick Corea Elektric Band), Chester Thompson (Genesis/Frank Zappa)
5. At The Edge Of The Middle – Steve Morse (Dixie Dreggs/Deep Purple), Jim Beard (Mahavishnu Orchestra), Randy Brecker (Blood, Sweat & Tears/Brecker Brothers), Percy Jones (Soft Machine/Brand X)
6. Atom Smashing – John Etheridge (Soft Machine), Tony Kaye (Yes), Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa),
7. In The Spirit Of – Steve Hillage (Gong), Scott Kinsey (Tribal Tech), Theo Travis (Steven Wilson Band), Justin Chancellor (Tool), Asaf Sirkis (The Orient House Ensemble)

"Always a pleasure to work with Billy Sherwood and all the other musicians he chooses. Add some great music and the combination is complete." - Rick Wakeman 

“Fusion music gave me a way to relate to jazz. I liked the rock energy, and the unexpected twists, turns and rhythms that made it fun to play. So, it's a big influence on the direction I took.” - Steve Morse

The Fusion Syndicate is avaliable from Purple Pyramid Records and can pre-ordered at:

http://cleorecs.com/store/shop/the-fusion-syndicate/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fusion-syndicate-feat.-rick/id564409590

For more information: http://cleorecs.com/store/

Dutch Rock Legends Focus To Undertake Worldwide Tour In Support Of Forthcoming CD Release 'Focus X'

Oct. 23, 2012 - London, UK - Much to the excitement of music fans across the planet, Dutch rock legends Focus will be undertaking a worldwide tour beginning November 2012 in support of their forthcoming CD 'Focus X'. With their unique brand of progressive rock, Focus manifested themselves at the start of the '70s as the most successful and appreciated of all the Dutch pop-rock exports. Fronted by founding member Thijs Van Leer, and best known for their hits “Hocus Pocus”, “House of The King” and “Sylvia”, as well as critically acclaimed albums 'Moving Waves', 'Focus 3' and 'Hamburger Concerto', the iconic Dutch music masters are back with their tenth album, which is guaranteed to please their legions of fans!

After a comeback in the early 2000's, which resulted in the well-received albums 'Focus 8' and 'Focus 9', the band regrouped with a fantastic new line-up. Along with Thijs van Leer on vocals, flute and keyboards, back on the drums is famed Focus drummer Pierre van der Linden, who joined the group on their second album 'Moving Waves' in 1972. Internationally renowned for his rhythmic skills, Pierre remains a defining factor in the Focus sound. Bassist Bobby Jacobs, who comes from a well-acclaimed Dutch musical family and guitarist Menno Gootjes, who participated in Focus at an earlier stage, completes the band's current line-up. Recently, Focus's biggest hit "Hocus Pocus" was used in a 4-minute Nike commercial before the World Cup broadcast. Focus music can be regularly heard on Top Gear and Saxondale TV. 

A new Focus era has arrived! There is a rejuvenated passion in the new compositions that adorn the new album 'Focus X', which features a full scale Roger Dean painting on the cover. Says Thijs van Leer, who holds the distinction of being the first ever knighted musician in Holland, “It's a thrill to have finally completed 'Focus X'; we are all ecstatic and looking forward to playing the new material on the forthcoming Focus X Tour.”

Focus X UK tour dates:

November 08 – Opera House – Buxton

November 09 – Town Hall – Hessle

November 10 – The Ferry – Glasgow

November 11 – Bridge Trades Club – Hebden

November 13 – Robin 2 – Wolverhampton

November 14 – The Brindley – Runcorn

November 15 – Birdwell – Barnsley

November 16 – Trading Boundaries – Fletching

November 17 – The Wharf – Tavistock

November 18 – Boom Boom Club – Sutton

November 19 – The Stables – Milton Keynes

November 20 – Beaverwood Club - Chislehurst

Title: 'Focus X' 

Release Date: November 5, 2012

Label:  East World Recordings. 

Focus X website: http://www.focus10.net/

Visit the official Focus website: http://www.focustheband.com/

Toto's Steve Lukather to release new solo album "Transition"

Mascot Label Group will release the highly anticipated seventh solo album “Transition” by guitarist, vocalist, composer/producer/arranger, Steve Lukather, on Monday 21st January 2013.  The album will be followed by an extensive European tour that will include two UK concerts at London’s Islington o2 Academy (March 29) and Bilston’s Robin 2 (March 30).

One of the original founding members of the multi-million selling rock band TOTO, Lukather will showcase his innate feel for rock and jazz guitar music, along with his impeccable song writing talents. Transition showcases extraordinary guitar playing performed across some of the most heartfelt songs of Steve’s career.  The album will be released in three formats including limited deluxe edition CD, jewel case CD, and vinyl.  Pre-order Transition album and merchandise HERE.

 

Track Listing

1. Judgement Day

2. Creep Motel

3. Once Again

4. Right The Wrong

5. Transition

6. Last Man Standing

7. Do I Stand Alone
8. Rest of the World

9. Smile

Over the previous decade a series of trials including divorce, the death of his mother and business hassles had dampened his joy in music making — a passion that drove Lukather to excel since seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan as a seven-year-old growing up in San Fernando Valley.  “Transition is a turning point for the album and a turning point for me,” Lukather explains. “As we were writing the songs, I was thinking about everything I’ve seen — all the people I’ve lost in my life, the great and the difficult experiences I’ve had, and how ultimately it was time to get it together and embrace things for what they are.  We’ve only got one life to live so we should make the most of it.”

In addition to his work with TOTO, Lukather has played on hundreds of albums with some of the biggest stars and legends in music including Van Halen, Whitney Houston, Alice Cooper, George Benson and Rod Stewart, he even played guitar on Michael Jackson’s multi-million selling milestone album ‘Thriller’.

Steve Lukather will be available for face to face interviews in London on Wednesday November 14^th.  Click HERE for the full press release, album artwork and hi res photos.

David Kilminster, Guitarist on Roger Waters’ The Wall Tour, Releases Debut Solo CD 'Scarlet – The Director's Cut'

David Kilminster, Guitarist on Roger Waters’ The Wall Tour, Releases Debut Solo CD 

'Scarlet – The Director's Cut'

 

November 26, 2012 - London, UK - Guitar virtuoso David Kilminster, best known for his work with Roger Waters and Keith Emerson, has released his debut solo CD titled 'Scarlet – The Director's Cut'. David's radical techniques and mesmerizing sounds have captivated fans and fellow musicians alike worldwide. Named “Guitarist of the Year” by Guitar Magazine in 1991, the recognition propelled him on a super-charged career as a multifaceted guitarist, vocalist, writer, engineer, and producer. Credited by keyboard legend Keith Emerson for inspiring him to go on the road again, David is a familiar figure worldwide to fans of progressive rock. And now, much to the elation of his fans, David is releasing an innovative new CD that will amaze all who listen!!

 

Says David about his new CD, “I guess the album 'Scarlet – The Director's Cut' is just a reflection of all the wonderful music that I grew up listening to on the radio, along with some deeply personal lyrics. It also represents the first time that I've ever been let loose in a studio, so I was definitely like a kid in a candy store!!! Hence trying a whole bunch of things I've never done before...like singing lead vocals, playing piano and even scoring for a string quartet!”

 

Fans and critics agree that David Kilminster is one of the most extraordinary talents to emerge from the UK. He is a sought after collaborator, band member and solo performer. After touring for a number of years with such luminaries as John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Carl Palmer, and ELP keyboard Keith Emerson, in 2006 David went on the road with Pink Floyd's Roger Waters as lead guitarist and vocalist in the extraordinary global staging of 'The Dark Side of the Moon'. More recently David was seen atop a thirty foot wall playing guitar on Roger Waters 'The Wall - Live' tour, which became the highest grossing tour of the year, playing to over 3 million people worldwide!!

David's work is in a class by itself, encompassing technical mastery and enormous power. His vast musical influences are strongly felt on his new album. Says David, “I have a very eclectic list of influences. Musically, it's anywhere from Debussy to Bjork, Chet Baker to Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley to Queen...it's all in there, mixed up in my own unique way...” As far as the title goes, David explains, “I really love the provocative images that the word 'Scarlet' conjures up in my head... it's a very passionate color, and brings to mind characters such as 'Scarlet O'Hara' in 'Gone With The Wind', 'The Scarlet Woman' (the goddess from the mystical system of Thelema), Scarlet Johansson (very cute!!)... and also the Sir Conan Doyle book 'A Study In Scarlet', which I believe is where Sherlock Holmes was first introduced. In a way the last reference seems particularly apt, as I feel like this album is my first real introduction into the world of music...”

 

In closing David has this to impart to his fans and listeners, “There's so much of my heart, soul, passion and energy in this recording... you can almost see my DNA in the grooves of the CD!!! So I really hope you enjoy the listening experience...”

 

To purchase David Kilminster 'Scarlet – The Director's Cut': http://www.cherryred.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=3897

Also available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/scarlet-the-directors-cut/id578776042

 

For more information: http://davidkilminster.com/

Asia's 30th Anniversary UK Tour Starts December 15

ASIA, featuring the original line-up of Geoff Downes (keyboards),  Steve Howe (guitar), Carl Palmer (drums) and John Wetton (bass, lead vocals) start their 30^th Anniversary UK Tour on December 15. The tour celebrates their 1982 eponymous debut album (now released as a new collectors’ edition) and their critically acclaimed new studio album ‘XXX’.

 

Tickets are available from the 24 Hour Box Office: 0844 478 0898, www.thegigcartel.com.

 

Tavistock The Wharf – Dec 15 (SOLD OUT)

 

Holmfirth Picturedrome – Dec 16 (SOLD OUT)

 

Edinburgh Queen’s Hall – Dec 17

 

Salisbury City Hall – Dec 19

 

Birmingham Town Hall – Dec 20

 

Manchester Royal Northern College of Music – Dec 21 (LAST FEW TICKETS REMAINING)

 

London o2 Shepherds Bush Empire – Dec 22

 

Thirty years after its eponymous debut album, ASIA ascended to the top of the Billboard Top 100 chart (where the album was #1 for nine weeks). The new album, ‘XXX’, featuring artwork by the legendary Roger Dean, has been hailed as ASIA’s best album since their early 80s classics.  

 

Read the official tour and album web release and download photos HERE. 

Caravan's 40th Anniversary UK Tour To Start January 8th

CARAVAN, the quintessential precursors to the British progressive rock music movement, start their 10-date UK tour on January 8, 2013 at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. Very special guest on all dates is Garron Frith.  Tickets for the tour are available from the 24 Hour Box Office: 0844 478 0898, www.eventim.co.uk.

The tour sees Caravan celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of the most important prog albums of all time; For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night.  Led by founding member and chief songwriter Pye Hastings, Caravan will also perform songs from the album In The Land Of Grey And Pink, plus other classics from their colourful career.

Originally formed in 1968, Caravan were at the heart of the 1970s burgeoning Canterbury progressive rock movement. The current line-up features Pye Hastings (1968 founding member: guitar, lead vocals), Geoffrey Richardson (joined 1972: viola, guitar, flute, vocals), Jan Schelhaas (keyboards), Jim Leverton (bass, vocals) and Mark Walker (drums, percussion). 

·         London Queen Elizabeth Hall (Jan 8)

·         Cambridge Junction (Jan 9)

·         Wolverhampton Robin (Jan 10)

·         Sage Gateshead (Jan 12)

·         Edinburgh Queen’s Hall (Jan 13) 

·         Salford Lowry (Jan 14)

·         Bridport Electric Palace (Jan 16)

·         Bath Komedia (Jan 17)

·         Tavistock The Wharf (Jan 18)

·         Falmouth Princess Pavilion (Jan 19)

 

Read the official UK tour press release HERE. 

BLIND GUARDIAN: Official Wine Now Available

German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN have launched their own official wine, a full-bodied, rich and spicy red wine from the South of France.
Says
the band: "Wine, women and song. We know that we have female fans. You
know that we have tons of songs. Up until now, only wine has been
missing, but no longer! We proudly present the Blind Guardian Syrah wine."
Blind Guardian Syrah wine details:
Varietal Syrah
Vintage 2011
Dry red wine
13.5 % Vol alcohol
With its soft tannins and rich taste, it is perfect with pasta and meat dishes. Serve at 16-18°C.
Song commendation: "To France", "The Bard's Song (In the Forest)"
The wine is available for purchase at EMP.de.

Paul Menel performing IQ's Nomzamo album - live DVD to be recorded in February 2013

As previously announced, Clive Nolan is currently working at the studio on his new project “Alchemy”. The world premiere of the show will take place at the famous Wyspianski Theatre in Katowice, Poland on February 22, 2013. The show will be recorded and released on DVD by Metal Mind Productions later next year.

 

Next to Clive Nolan himself, both the CD album as well as the DVD concert version of the musical will feature the artists well known in the world of progressive rock including Tracy Hitchings (Landmarq, Strangers on a Train), Andy Sears (Twelfth Night), Paul Manzi (Arena), Damian Wilson (Threshold), Paul Menel (ex-IQ), David Clifford (Red Jasper) as well as the leading lady of Nolan's previous musical 'SHE', Agnieszka Świta. The main cast will be expanded by the stars of the 2011 'She - the Musical' Cheltenham theatre production, Victoria Bolley, Chris Lewis and Soheila Clifford. Additionally, on 'Alchemy' album the role of Jessamine will be sung by Noel Calcaterra - a Uruguayan singer/actress and the voice of Clive Nolan South American 'Otra Vida' project from 2010. The role of Jessamine in Katowice will be performed by the youngest member of the Caamora Company, Soheila Clifford - a fifteen-year-old artist currently studying on a Full Scholarship at Barbara Speake Stage School in London. The Caamora Company musicians - Clive Nolan (keyboards), Mark Westwood (guitars), Scott Higham (drums), Claudio Momberg (keyboards) and Kylan Amos (bass) will once more take charge of the instrumental part of the project both on a CD and DVD.

 

This special evening at the Theatre will be enriched by two additional concerts. One of the Artists performing that night will be Paul Menel, who, along with his band, will perform songs from one of the best albums in the career of his previous formation IQ - "Nomzamo". The band will feature: John Jowitt (bass), Steve Harris (lead guitar), Steve Swift (rhythm guitar), Anna Brookes (saxophone), Ian Diment (keyboards), Holly Knott (backing vocal) and Tim Churchman (drums).

 

 

Paul Menel is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the former lead singer of progressive rock band IQ from late 1985 to 1990. He wrote the lyrics, co-wrote the music, and sang lead vocals on IQ's 4th and 5th studio albums - "Nomzamo" (1987) and "Are You Sitting Comfortably?" (1989), both of which proved to be some of IQs most commercially successful albums and remain highly regarded by IQ's fans worldwide. Subsequent cross collaboration within IQ proved less attractive to Paul so he quit the band, choosing to jam with artists from different backgrounds and cultures instead, broadening the scope of his musical activity. In 2011 Paul Menel made a welcome return to the music scene when he performed a series of live performances in Europe and the UK with The Paul Menel Band (featuring John Jowitt and Steve Harris) to glowing reviews from fans & media alike.

 

2012 celebrates the release of Paul's debut album “Into Insignificance I Will Pale”.  A powerfully well-crafted album, this record couldn’t be further from the ploddingly grandiose beast that progressive rock was once known to be.  In recent times, new life has been breathed into the prog rock scene to great effect, creating an exciting and vital scene for music fans once more. “Into Insignificance I Will Pale” will become a crucial ingredient of this renewed & revitalized genre.

 

Several tracks from his solo album will also be a part of The Paul Menel band’s performance.

 

Another band to join the line-up of the show to be announced soon!

 

Metal Mind Productions
presents

 

A night at the Theater

 

„Alchemy” by Clive Nolan

 

The Paul Menel Band performing IQ’s album „Nomzamo”

 

+ special guests TBA

 

22.02.2013 Teatr Śląski – Katowice

 

Doors open: 16.30
start: 17.30

 

 

For tickets go HERE. 

Obituary For Huw Lloyd Langton: Guitarist with space-rock giants Hawkwind

WRITTEN BY IAM ABRAHAMS:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/huw-lloyd-langton-guitarist-with-spacerock-giants-hawkwind-8406440.html 

As an original recording member of the psychedelic space-rock band Hawkwind, Huw Lloyd Langton was a teenager among musicians who were arguably already music business veterans. They included the band's one constant over the next 40 years, Dave Brock, who had played in various ensembles throughout the 1960s and was a familiar figure on London's busker scene; the Joe Loss Band bassist John Harrison; and roadie-turned-saxophonist Nik Turner.

Add to that experience the Pretty Things' Dick Taylor, who was assigned the task of channelling Hawkwind's dense and improvised sound on to vinyl, and it is unsurprising that Langton described himself as "overawed" while recording their eponymous debut. Such self-deprecation was typical of Langton's unassuming character, but he would become one of the most dexterous and skilled musicians to grace Hawkwind's ranks.
He was born in Harlesden, west London; self-taught as a guitarist, he also possessed natural ability as a painter. He attributed his decision to follow a musical path to his Welsh mother who, he said, "always liked singing and dragged me and my sister off to chapel whenever she could." His earliest professional work was as a member of Winston G, with whom he toured in Europe, but it was while he was working for Ivor Maraints in his legendary Musicentre in London's West End that Brock and Harrison recruited him to replace Hawkwind's original lead guitarist, Mick Slattery, who had decamped after cutting their first demo.
Hawkwind had been spotted playing at All Saints Hall in Ladbroke Grove in 1969 by the Clearwater Productions impresario Douglas Smith, who became their first manager and signed them to Liberty, later United Artists. They made their name through an affinity with the burgeoning Notting Hill underground and a willingness to play for free for myriad causes, including a famous appearance with counterculture comrades the Pink Fairies outside the 1970 Isle of Wight festival – ostensibly as a protest against the high price of admission – that became a key moment in Hawkwind mythology. It was also a defining point in Langton's life for a different reason.
"I started taking hallucinogenic drugs," he recalled. "Not the heavy duty stuff ... but there were very strange substances going around." Hawkwind's stated intent was to create an audio-visual experience that didn't rely on drugs; the scene within which the band was developing, however, created a focal point for consumption that Langton eschewed, having already had one bad experience of LSD. At the Isle of Wight, however, he unwittingly consumed orange juice laced with LSD which triggered a breakdown and led him to walk away from Hawkwind for the next nine years, during which time they scored a Top 3 hit with "Silver Machine" and released the highly regarded live album, Space Ritual.
Marrying Marion Chamberlain in 1971, Langton spent the decade moving between roles. He taught at Streatham Comprehensive, worked as a session musician for artists such as Leo Sayer, and joined "supergroup" Widowmaker, whose membership included Mott the Hoople's Aerial Bender (Luther Grosvenor) and the Love Affair vocalist Steve Ellis, and who released two LPs: Widowmaker (1976) and Too Late To Cry (1977). He remained in contact with Hawkwind, filling in for them on a handful of instances.
By 1979, Hawkwind were unrecognisable from the band with which Langton had recorded. They had undergone numerous line-up changes and recorded successful albums for United Artists, and then with Tony Stratton-Smith's Charisma label, but at the end of the decade they were out of contract, with Brock the sole remaining founder-member.
Brock had recruited the former Gong synthesiser player Tim Blake to a new-look line-up that would move Hawkwind's style from the "new wave" tone of recent releases back to a heavy rock sound. Blake, another Ladbroke Grove veteran, suggested re-engaging Langton.
A winter tour yielded Live – 79, a mix of reworked standards and new material that delineated Hawkwind's rediscovered rock agenda, and secured a deal with Bronze Records. They recorded Levitation with Ginger Baker who, recruited through contact via Marion Lloyd Langton, joined as drummer for the album and supporting tour. Levitation was a triumph, noted for its high production values and Langton's distinctively sharp but fluid lead lines. It failed to serve-up any singles chart success, but by then Hawkwind was effectively an albums and live band with a diehard fan-base who saw them as not just a group of musicians but as an ethos.
Langton remained with Hawkwind for a decade, his status by choice that of a session musician engaged for studio and live work. Co-written with Marion came well-loved standards: "Rocky Paths", "Solitary Mind Games", "Dragons & Fables" and the crowd-pleasing "Moonglum". During this tenure, the band cut Sonic Attack and Choose Your Masques for RCA, before releasing the Michael Moorcock-inspired concept album The Chronicle Of The Black Sword on the Flicknife label, and The Xenon Codex for GWR. Concurrently, Langton put together the Lloyd Langton Group, releasing albums that musically had some common cause with his Hawkwind work but which often lyrically explored the disconnections between people, an identifiable theme running through the songs he wrote with Marion.
Approachable and friendly, Langton was a popular figure, regularly to be found in a local bar before concerts happily chatting with fans. He left Hawkwind again in 1989, returning for a one-off appearance in 1997 before rejoining for the band's 30th anniversary show at the Brixton Academy in 2000, dubbed the "Hawkestra". This led to him touring with yet another reconfigured line-up the following year, though he contracted Legionnaires Disease towards the tour's end.
That prefigured a decline in his health that continued to dog him for the rest of his life. He was regularly invited back to Hawkwind, generally for acoustic guest spots. One of his last appearances was in August in Sidmouth with his great friend Dave Brock, in aid of the Devon Air Ambulance. Unknown to his fans, for two years Langton had been fighting throat cancer, from which he died at home.
Richard Huw Lloyd Langton, guitarist and songwriter: born Harlesden, London 6 February 1951; married 1971 Marion Chamberlain; died Dorset 6 December 2012.

ADRENALINE MOB To Record Cover Songs For 'Special Edition' Re-Release Of Debut Album

 

ADRENALINE MOB — the band featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), SYMPHONY X frontman Russell Allen, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (SONIC STOMP) and DISTURBED bassist John Moyer — will head into the studio in a few days to record a bunch of cover
songs for a "special edition" of the group's debut album, "Omertá", to be released in the U.S. and Europe. More information will be made available soon.

"Omertá" sold around 6,600 copies in the United States in its first week of
release to land at position No. 70 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD
was released in Europe on March 19 in Europe via Century Media Records and in the U.S. on March 13 through the newly formed Elm City Music in conjunction with EMI Label Services.

The 11-song effort — which was produced by ADRENALINE MOB and mixed by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked on ANTHRAX's "Worship Music" and STEEL PANTHER's "Balls Out" — includes a blistering reinterpretation of DURAN DURAN's classic "Come Undone" featuring guest vocals by Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM.

ADRENALINE MOB's "Indifferent" video (see below) was filmed in March in the desert in California and throughout Los Angeles with director Scott Hansen, who has previously worked with A DAY TO REMEMBER, UNEARTH and WILLIE NELSON, among others.