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Saturday, August 9, 2014

Guitar Legend Steve Hillage Releases 'Live At The Rainbow 1977' CD

Guitar Legend Steve Hillage Releases 'Live At The Rainbow 1977' CD 

London, UK - Steve Hillage is one of the most idiosyncratic and instantly recognizable guitarists in the world. Associated with the Canterbury scene, he has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s. Besides his critically acclaimed solo recordings, along with prog legends Gong, Steve has been a member of the ensembles Khan and System 7. And now, much to the excitement of Steve Hillage fans worldwide, Gonzo MultiMedia UK has released 'Steve Hillage – Live At The Rainbow 1977' CD on June 23, 2014!

Says Steve, “I'm really happy to finally release this full live recording - it's amazing how sharp and fresh it still sounds today!”

Steve Hillage first came to prominence as a member of the multi-national rock band Gong. Steve appeared on successful albums such as 'Angels Egg', 'You' and his final album with the band 'Shamal'. Steve recorded his first solo album in 1975 entitled 'Fish Rising'. This album was recorded whilst still a member of Gong. Shortly after however, Steve and his partner Miquette Giraudy left Gong embarking on a career that continues to this day under the name System 7.

In 1976 Steve recorded the album 'L', which was produced by Todd Rundgren. The album was a huge success and Steve subsequently formed the first Steve Hillage Band, which included former Jethro Tull drummer Clive Bunker and future Camel bassist Colin Bass. The band made its live debut at the Hyde Park concert staged by Queen in September 1976.

From 1976 to 1979, Steve Hillage released several critically acclaimed albums and toured the world. This album shows the guitar icon at the top of his game, playing a classic show at the Rainbow Theatre in London in 1977 featuring songs from the album 'Motivation Radio', which was the follow up to 'L', and an amazing American rhythm section. It contains glorious, life affirming music, which is as spiritual and uplifting now as it was when recorded nearly 40 years ago.

Tracks:
Octave Doctors
It's All Too Much
Light In The Sky
Radio
Electrick Gypsies
The Salmon Song
Solar Musick Suite (Part 2)
Motivation
Saucer Surfing
Searching For The Spark
Hurdy Gurdy Man

Steve currently sees his System 7, Mirror System, and Steve Hillage Band entities as operating in parallel and has been writing some new rock-based material for a possible Steve Hillage Band album for release in 2014/15. System 7 and Japanese psychedelic progressive jam-band ROVO released a new CD in September 2013. To hear samples of the new album: http://rovoandsystem7.bandcamp.com/ 

To purchase Steve Hillage 'Live At The Rainbow 1977' CD: http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15686/Steve_Hillage-Live_at_the_Rainbow_1977.html

For more information: 
http://www.a-wave.com/system7/ 

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 
828-350-8158glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Steve Hillage is available for interviews – please contact Glass Onyon PR.

Steve Hillage Live At The Rainbow 1977.jpg

Music Legends Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty Announce Formation of New Music Ensemble - The Anderson Ponty Band

Music Legends Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty Announce Formation of New Music Ensemble - 
The Anderson Ponty Band!

Los Angeles, CA - Music legends Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty announce the formation of a new ensemble - The Anderson Ponty Band! YES's original singer/songwriter for 35 years, Jon Anderson has had a successful solo career, which includes working with such notable music artists as Vangelis, Kitaro, and Milton Nascimento. International jazz superstar Jean-Luc Ponty is a pioneer and undisputed master of violin in the arena of jazz and rock. He is widely regarded as an innovator who has applied his unique visionary spin that has expanded the vocabulary of modern music. Together these two music icons form a musical synergy that is unparalleled!

A breakthrough feeling came as I sang with Jean-Luc's music, to be in a band again is very exciting on many levels, we will play and sing our way around the world and have fun, for music is pleasure, music is all that is, music is God” - Jon Anderson

The Anderson Ponty Band also includes Jamie Dunlap on guitars - well known as a film and television composer, most notably 'South Park'; Wally Minko on keyboards - virtuoso player and composer who has performed and recorded with many worldwide stars including Pink, Toni Braxton, Jean-Luc Ponty, Tom Jones and Barry Manilow; Baron Browne on bass who has played with Steve Smith, Billy Cobham and Jean-Luc Ponty; and Rayford Griffin on drums and percussion, who has played with Stanley Clarke Band, George Duke, Jean-Luc Ponty and Michael Jackson. The band will visit the music created by Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty over the years with new arrangements, virtuosic performances and new energy, while creating new compositions as well.

The Anderson Ponty Band have been writing and arranging old favorites during the past three months. They will be in residence for three weeks in September at Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado rehearsing, recording and playing a public performance on Saturday September 20th. An album will be finished in Los Angeles and is scheduled for release in early 2015. Also, a videography documenting the making of the album will be released as well as videos and performances. A world tour beginning in March 2015 is in the planning stages.

The Anderson Ponty Band announce the launch of a Kickstarter campaign today July 25th beginning at 2PM Eastern. The campaign will encourage fans and friends to become a stakeholder in the project. Numerous tiers of donations will be rewarded by album downloads, premium CD/DVD packages, VIP ticket access, merchandising, special one of a kind collectibles, special meet and greets with the band and much more.

Kickstarter campaign: http://bit.ly/apband2014

Anderson Ponty Band Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andersonpontyband

Jon Anderson official website: www.jonanderson.com

Jean-Luc Ponty official website: www.ponty.com

LEPROUS announce North American Tour & ProgPower

LEPROUS announce North American Tour
Including their return to ProgPower 






Norwegian cutting-edge prog metallers LEPROUS have announced a short but sweet string of North American dates. 

The seven-date jaunt sees them playing North America's largest prog-friendly festival, Atlanta's ProgPower, after which the band heads west then north into Canada, ending up with dates in New York City and Virginia before heading home.

Leprous appeared only once before in America, when in 2010 they played a ProgPower pre-festival gig in Atlanta. The band members played the festival itself a year later as back-up band for Ihsahn (the solo excursion of Emperor's guitarist/vocalist), a role they have fulfilled for nearly 10 years. This is Leprous's first-ever multi-show trip through North America. They will be supporting their phenomenal Coal album, released in 2013 on InsideOut.

DATES
09/12/2014 - ProgPower USA - Atlanta, GA
09/16/2014 - The Token Lounge - Detroit, MI
09/17/2014 - Reggie's - Chicago, IL
09/18/2014 - El Mocambo - Toronto, ON
09/19/2014 - Mavericks - Ottawa, ON
09/20/2014 - Studio @ Webster Hall, New York, NY
09/21/2014 - Empire - Springfield, VA


LEPROUS online:
  

PAIN OF SALVATION announce North American Tour

PAIN OF SALVATION announce North American Tour Dates kicking off at ProgPower






Daniel Gildenlöw has led his band PAIN OF SALVATION through a variety of fascinating evolutionary cycles since 1984, although the band's first recording took place in 1996. Many amazing albums and memorable world tours later, they return to the States in September 2014. 

Their first stop: two different shows on two different days in Atlanta, both under the umbrella of the ProgPower festival. The second show promises to be particularly special: they will perform 2002's Remedy Lane album in its entirety on Saturday, September 13.

From there the band plays 12 additional shows, taking them throughout the US and into Canada and even a stop in Mexico for the final date. Pain of Salvation is a cornerstone of the InsideOut label, releasing their first album, Entropia, for the label in 1997. Their latest album, Road Salt Two, was released in 2011.

Check out Daniel Gildenlöw of Pain of Salvation announcing their special PPUSA 2014 set:

DATES:
09/10/2014 - The Loft (Midweek Mayhem - ProgPower USA) - Atlanta, GA
09/13/2014 - Center Stage (ProgPower USA - Remedy Lane show) - Atlanta, GA**
09/14/2014 - Empire - Springfield, VA
09/16/2014 - Roxy and Dukes - Dunellen, NJ
09/17/2014 - Middle East - Cambridge, MA
09/18/2014 - The Marlin Room @ Webster Hall - New York, NY
09/19/2014 - Theatre Plaza - Montreal, QC
09/20/2014 - Coda - Toronto, ON
09/21/2014 - Reggie's - Chicago, IL
09/24/2014 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
09/26/2014 - Cheyenne Saloon - Las Vegas, NV
09/27/2014 - Ramona Mainstage - Ramona, CA
09/28/2014 - The Center Theatre - Whittier, CA
09/30/2014 - Jose Cuervo Salon - Mexico City, MX**

** PoS only

PAIN OF SALVATION online:
   

  

ENCHANT To Release 'The Great Divide' In September

ENCHANT, the Bay Area's long-running prog-rock institution, founded in 1989, has completed work on its much-anticipated comeback release after ten years of silence.

Titled "The Great Divide", ENCHANT's eighth studio album will be released on September 30 in North America via the band's longtime label partner InsideOut Music.

ENCHANT's main songwriter and guitarist Douglas A. Ott had the following to say about the upcoming release: "Well, it's finally here folks!
"There was a time when I was unsure of ENCHANT's future but fear not. We've made another album after 10 years and are very excited and proud of this endeavor!
"Our new album is called 'The Great Divide' and we can't wait for you to hear it! Nine brand-new ENCHANT tracks, including one instrumental. Classic ENCHANT, but with a bunch of new twists and turns. Long time in the making, but it is surely worth the wait. Coming out late September, so be sure to check it out!"

The first teaser for "The Great Divide" is available below.
In related news, InsideOutMusic has announced the first-ever vinyl release of ENCHANT's classic debut album, "A Blueprint Of The World", from 1993. On September 1, this epic record will be available on 180-gram black vinyl in the gatefold double LP format, including the original 10 songs and one bonus track, with a total playing time of 74 minutes, as well as the full album on a bonus CD.

ENCHANT 2014 is:

Ted Leonard (SPOCK'S BEARD, THOUGHT CHAMBER) - Lead vocals
Douglas A. Ott - Guitar, backing vocals
Ed Platt - Bass
Bill Jenkins (SOUND OF CONTACT, THOUGHT CHAMBER) - Keyboards
Sean Flanegan (CYNTHESIS) - Drums

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT announces North American tour with ANIMALS AS LEADERS, MONUMENTS

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT announces North American tour with ANIMALS AS LEADERS, MONUMENTS


                                                
                              
As previously announced, guitar virtuoso and musical genius Devin Townsend has been hard at work on the new DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT and Ziltoid2 records for the past few months, preparing the world for Ziltoid The Omniscient's triumphant return and the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Epicloud! In support of this forthcoming epic double album due out in October, Hevy Devy will join ANIMALS AS LEADERS for a co-headlining tour in November/December with MONUMENTS as support.

See below for all tour dates, and stay tuned for more news about Ziltoid2 / the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT coming soon!

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, ANIMALS AS LEADERS, MONUMENTS North American tour dates
Nov. 17 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
Nov. 18 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom *
Nov. 19 - Kelowna, BC - Level Nightclub *
Nov. 21 - Edmonton, AB - Union Hall
Nov. 22 - Calgary, AB - The Gateway *
Nov. 23 - Saskatoon, SK - O'Brians Event Centre
Nov. 24 - Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick Centre *
Nov. 25 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
Nov. 26 - Chicago, IL - Metro *
Nov. 28 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall *
Nov. 29 - Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues
Nov. 30 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre *
Dec. 1 - Montreal, QC - Club Soda
Dec. 3 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live *
Dec. 4 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
Dec. 5 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium *
Dec. 6 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
Dec. 8 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage *
Dec. 10 - San Antonio, TX - Backstage Live
Dec. 11 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Bar N Grill *
Dec. 13 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
Dec. 14 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater *
Dec. 15 - Mesa, AZ - The Nile Theatre
Dec. 16 - Los Angeles, CA - The Mayan *
Dec. 17 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency Ballroom
*=DTP closes show

Devin Townsend live in Europe
Aug. 5 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Vredenburg
Aug. 6 - Cologne, Germany - Luxor
Aug. 7 - Berlin, Germany - Bi Nuu
Aug. 8 - Jaromer, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault Festival
Aug. 9 - Frankfurt, Germany - Nachtleben
Aug. 11 - Cervia Ra, Italy - Rock Planet
Aug. 13 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Les Docks
Aug. 14 - Dornbirn, Austria - Conrad Sohm
Aug. 15 - Dinkelsbuhl, Germany - Summerbreeze Festival
Aug. 17 - Devon, UK - Beautiful Days Festival
Sept. 4 - London, UK - Union Chapel
Sept. 6 - Helsinki, Finland - Savoy Teatteri
Apr. 13 - London, UK - Royal Albert Hall

Following the success of 2012's Epicloud, Devin Townsend released a special CD/DVD set, The Retinal Circus, in 2013, which featured a full choir and theatrical cast, visual and aural enhancements unlike any show Hevy Devy has done to date, several guest appearances, circus performances and more. This past May, Devin also self-released Casualties of Cool, an album that was crowd-funded by his hardcore fan-base, who pledged over 500% of the project's goal.

For a preview of The Retinal Circus, be sure to check out the live video for "Grace"; a video for the Casualties of Cool's "Flight" can be viewed here.

Devin Townsend online:
http://www.hevydevy.com
http://www.facebook.com/dvntownsend
http://www.omerch.com
    

DEEP PURPLE's IAN GILLAN Rules Out Performing With RITCHIE BLACKMORE At ROCK HALL Induction

 
In a brand new interview with RollingStone.com, DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan was asked if he is upset that his band has not yet been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame despite the fact that it has been eligible since 1993.
"Whatever you say to a question like that, you sound supercilious or dismissive or disgruntled or sour grapes," he replied. "I spent all my younger life trying to avoid institutionalization as much as I could and then I realized that these sorts of things are for your family and fans. So I don't mind what happens. We're grateful for anything that comes along our way.
"I think it would be undignified for us to enter the fray and stamp our feet and say, 'Yeah, we don't need it anyway.' It's really an American thing. We don't really understand it, but if I treat it with respect, we'll see what happens. That's all I can say."
Asked if he would be willing to play with DEEP PURPLE's founding guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore, at the ceremony if the band was inducted, Gillan said: "Well, we are the living, breathing DEEP PURPLE. This is the longest that any lineup has ever been together in this band. And it would be unconscionable to think about bringing Ritchie in. I don't have an issue with Ritchie, nor does anyone. I've been in touch with Ritchie recently and everything's cool, so there's no bitter, personal problem. We're too old for that and everything's in the past, but no. That would be out of the question. How insulting that would be to [current guitarist] Steve Morse, for example? So if that's the stumbling block, fair enough. Never the twain shall meet."
He added: "I'm saying what I'm about to say not to wind Ritchie up, if he's reading this. He knows that we've got to talk about these things. So I say this with no rancor, and let's get the record straight: I was just as much of an asshole as Ritchie was. But Ritchie carried it on for a little longer. Had Ritchie stayed with the band, it would have been all over. It would have just ended. Without any doubt in anyone's mind — it was all over. So the day he walked out was the day we had to rebuild. We had Joe Satriani for one year, and he got us over the crisis, and then we got Steve and started to rebuild. Within a couple of years, we started playing arenas again, and it's been fantastic ever since.
"So to go back to the question of 'Would we do the show with Ritchie?' I think that would be hugely disrespectful to what I call the living, breathing, DEEP PURPLE. There's always been a living, breathing, DEEP PURPLE, good or bad at any stage of our evolution, and how it is now is particularly healthy and it wouldn't be right."
In a 2012 interview with Billboard, Blackmore said that he had no interest in participating in any Hall Of Fame celebrations, whether DEEP PURPLE was inducted or not.
"Personally, I couldn't care less [if DEEP PURPLE is inducted]," the guitarist said. "I would never go. I'm not really a fan of that stuff. Considering some of the people that are in the Hall Of Fame, I'm not sure if it's a good idea, so I don't care one way or the other, actually."
He added: "I think our fans seem to care more than I do. They're always saying, 'You should be in the Hall Of Fame. You should be in this, you should be in that.' If I can pay the bills, that's all I care about."

Blackmore left DEEP PURPLE for good in 1993 after a second stint with the group. He has since spent most of his time recording albums and performing select concerts with his current project BLACKMORE'S NIGHT, his Renaissance and Medieval music collaboration with his wife Candice Night.