Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record with Slash: A Once In A Lifetime Opportunity for Unsigned Artists

I just received this press release and it seems pretty interesting - especially if you're a budding guitar superstar: 

Westlake Village, CA, February 1, 2010 - Continuing its support of aspiring artists, Guitar Center (www.guitarcenter.com), the world's largest musical instrument retailer, today announced Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record with Slash a first-of-its-kind, unsigned band competition that provides emerging artists the chance to win the ultimate career-altering opportunity: record a 3-song EP with legendary producer, Mike Clink (Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Megadeth) and have Slash write, record and perform on the winning artists' single. Starting today, through April 30th, 2010 bands across the United States are invited to submit their music at YourNextRecord.com (www.yournextrecord.com) for a chance to win the aforementioned prize package, which also includes: 

A management development deal with "The Collective" (Linkin Park, Slash, Avenged Sevenfold) · Feature of winning artists' single on iTunes · Worldwide distribution of winning artists' music through Tunecore · $10,000 Guitar Center Shopping Spree · New gear and endorsement deals from Ernie Ball Music Man · An opening slot on Slash's Monster Energy Bash · An editorial feature on the winning band in Guitar World Magazine

A Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record with Slash teaser can be viewed here at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWOluHHoccE.

"The formula that used to work for discovering new artists has been decimated and the opportunities for really talented bands to be heard is extremely limited," said Slash. "That's why it's so important to me and Guitar Center to provide a situation where new talent can be discovered. This is an incredibly interesting way to find and help launch a really great band that hasn't been able to get their foot in the door otherwise."

Guitar Center commissioned leading entertainment platform developer, FameCast, adopting its proprietary contest management technology, known as "Buzz Factor," to collect and present each band's submissions and rank them using a variety of metrics such as online fan voting and community engagement, ensuring that the best bands standout. In addition, all bands will be armed with digital tools to help encourage their fans to vote for their submissions as well as other great unsigned artists. After the three-month submission and voting period the top bands will be personally evaluated and selected by Slash and Mike Clink.

Guitar Center is also a primary partner of Ernie Ball's Shred with Slash promotion which offers musicians the chance to win over $50,000 in prizes, including a private master class with Slash, upon finding one of five custom, limited edition Slash guitar picks in select packs of Ernie Ball electric guitar strings sold exclusively at Guitar Center between February 1st and April 30th. Picks and corresponding prizes are as follows:

Gold Pick: (20 winners) A private 2-hour Master Class with Slash
Silver Pick: (10 winners): A custom Ernie Ball Music Man guitar or bass of winner's choice
Red Pick: (20 winners): A $500 Guitar Center shopping spree
Black Pick: (100 winners) Signed copy of Slash's new solo album
White Pick: (1,000 winners) Free pack of Ernie Ball electric guitar strings

The opportunity coincides with what will be Slash's first true solo album. Slash announced today his CD, SLASH, will release in April 2010. The album features an all-star roster of guest musicians including Ian Astbury, Chris Cornell, Rocco DeLuca, Fergie, Dave Grohl, Myles Kennedy, Kid Rock, Lemmy Kilmeister, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Duff McKagan, M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, and Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother.

Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record with Slash is just one of many Guitar Center initiatives created to foster growth and success within the music community, including its annual King of the Blues, Drum-Off and On-Stage competitions, among others. Guitar Center's King of the Blues is a nationwide amateur guitar skills competition with the goal of finding the next great undiscovered blues guitar player. Drum-Off is an annual drumming competition that, now in its 21st year, has been a launching pad for many drummers, including Cora Coleman-Dunham and Tony Royster Jr, two Drum-Off winners who have gone on to become highly acclaimed professional drummers (with Prince and Jay Z respectively). Guitar Center On-Stage is a musical competition judged by Mötley Crüe. The winning band, The Last Vegas, has since gone on to open for Mötley Crüe on tour and subsequently topped iTunes critics' 2009 "Rock Singles of the Year List" with their hit single "I'm Bad."

Congrats to Judas Priest and AC/DC - Grammy Winners!

Judas Priest won the Best Metal Performance Grammy for "Dissident Aggressor" from A Touch of Evil-Live. Slayer, Megadeth, Ministry and Lamb of God were also nominated in this category.

Hard rock icons AC/DC also won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. They got the statue for "War Machine" from Black Ice. They beat Nickelback, Alice in Chains and Linkin Park. It's only fitting to post a couple vids to celebrate.I just wish these awards were on the main broadcast and not during the special awards in an afternoon ceremony. Oh well, I guess. We'll take what we can get.

"Dissident Aggressor"

"War Machine"

By the way, you can check out all the Grammy winners online.

White Trash UK - Greatest Hits Due Soon

Want some gritty glam? You might like White Trash UK -- especially if you're into collecting obscure albums. Check out the tracks online. The greatest hits album is out April 26th via Bad Reputation (and digitally February 19).

WHITE TRASH U.K - The Birmingham (UK) underground super group that features two progressive rock legends, a thrash drumming legend and a rock n' roll suicide, has the lost and never released 1996 Noise International album released! Sounding like a cross between Faith No More, The Offspring, Queen & Motley Crue? This is one for the music connoisseur!

Lee Pistolero ( Gypsy Pistoleros)-Vox
Mark Westwood ( Shadowlands, Neo, Caamora, Martin Orford Band) - Guitars
John Jowitt (Ark, I.Q, Frost,Arena, Jadis, Neo)-Bass. Prog Rock legend, who has been awarded the British Classic Rock Society's award for best bass player nine times, each year between 1993 and 1998 and again between 2002 and 2004.
Paul Brookes ( Benediction, Bolthrower, Marshall Law) -Drums

Here's the track listing:

1) Changeling*
2) Astro Zombies
3) Dead Hillbilly*
4) Nightmare Land*
5) Baby's Got A Bomb
6) Woman*
7) Thrill Kill Killers*
8) King Of The Mad
9) Freakshow
10) Crowman*
11) Woman (Acoustic)
12) Baby's Got A Bomb (Live)

You can keep up with Lee Pistolero's main band - the Gypsy Pistoleros - via their Myspace.

Dare Rules

As I continue my quest to bring back glam, I remind you of Dare. Darren Wharton (formerly of Thin Lizzy) formed Dare in the mid-80s and by 1989, Out of Silence was on store shelves. The album is great and features the singles "Heartbreaker" and "Don't Let Go."

If you don't recall "Heartbreaker," here's the song:

Dare isn't a defunct act. In fact, the band released an album of new material last year called Arc of the Dawn. On Wharton's Myspace page, he writes that Dare's music features Celtic overtones. I don't know about all that -- to me it all just sounds like straight ahead rock. If you're American, you can buy the import of Arc of the Dawn through Amazon for just over $30. Of course, the album is also available as a download for way cheaper. I'd love to see Dare in concert but I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

Raise your hand if you've seen Dare in concert!

"Nothing is Stronger than Love" (official video)

The Last Vegas Release Video for "Whatever Gets You Off"

The Last Vegas rules! Their latest album Whatever Gets You Off drips sleaze glam and the guys are so nice, too. Now, the band has a new video -- of the title track, natch! Check out the official video along with some awesome behind the scenes footage. Music video production interests me, so I really enjoyed the "making-of" clip.

M3 Festival Ticketing Details Revealed - No GA Pit

Here are ticketing details for the M3 Festival set for June 19 at Merriweather Post Pavilion near Baltimore, Maryland. This information is available on the festival's official website:

Tickets go on-sale on Feb 20, 2010 at 10am

Check  www.m3rockfest.com or www.merriweathermusic.com to find out how you can get tickets in the coming weeks. There will be no General Admission pit this year and will be replaced by seats.

Pricing does not include service charges:
VIP - $175 per ticket
Pavilion Middle - $75 per ticket
Pavilion Side - $55 per ticket
Lawn - $35

There will be a limited number of tickets available during a PRE-SALE at the FOLLOWING prices for fans registered at m3rockfest.com:

VIP $150 per ticket - (details below)
Pavilion Middle - $75 per ticket
Pavilion Side - $160 for a four pack
Lawn - $100 for a four pack of GA lawn seats

Please register for pre-sale info and ticketing code at www.m3rockfest.com

There are a limited number of VIP tickets available to make sure fans have the best possible experience.
VIP tickets will replace the pit with guaranteed tickets in the first 10 rows. Each VIP Ticket will include:

Private entrance gate
1 – Official M3 Festival T-shirt
1 – Official M3 concert poster with Sharpie pen
Access to the M3 VIP deck located backstage. 
This deck is located 100 feet from stage so you will not miss any action. 
You will avoid lines for food, drink and restrooms at the VIP Club. 
There is not any free food or drinks with this program.

Access to the Meet and Greet lounge located next the VIP Deck where many of the artists will be signing autographs. The Producers of M3 have received commitments from a number of bands to attend this area.  With that said, the Producers make NO GUARANTEES which band will participate.

BUY VIP - If you want to ensure you get the best seats in the house along with easy access to concessions and restrooms as well as a chance to meet your favorite artists.

Quite frankly, I'm disappointed. When you're planning on attending a large-scale event such as M3 (or any other festival) with up to a dozen people, having ticketed seating makes things very complicated. I thought the GA pit worked out really nice last year - and the area sold out quickly. I was expecting a ticket price hike, but a hundred bucks is a lot.


For You Nikki Sixx Fans...