Steven Adler, former drummer for Guns N’ Roses, has announced the first leg of their “Back From The Dead Tour” with his new band, Adler.  The first show kicks off March 2nd at Ramona Mainstage in Ramona, CA.

Adler “Back From The Dead” 2013 Tour Dates:

• 3/2 – Ramona Mainstage – Ramona, CA
• 3/7 – Tokyo Duo -Tokyo, Japan with Duff McKagan’s Loaded
• 3/8 – Tokyo Duo -Tokyo, Japan w/ Duff McKagan’s Loaded
• 5/16 – The Coach House – San Juan Capistrano, CA
• 5/17 – Count’s Vamp’d – Las Vegas, NV
• 5/18 – Club Red – Tempe, AZ
• 5/30 – St. Rocke – Hermosa Beach, CA
• 5/31 – Whisky A Go Go – Hollywood, CA
• 6/19 – Backstage Bar – Tacoma, WA
• 6/20 – El Corazon – Seattle, WA
• 6/21 – Diamondz – Jerome, ID
• 6/22 – Rock The Falls Festival – Idaho Falls, ID
• 6/23 – Jammin Joe’s – Arvada, CO
• 6/26 – TBA – Bismarck, ND
• 6/27 – Legacy Ballroom – Fargo, ND
• 6/28 – The Reverb – Waterloo, IA
• 6/29 – The Grove – Lincoln, NE
• 6/30 – Busters – Mankato, MN
• 7/3- The Summit Summer Concert Series – Whitesburg, KY
• 7/4 – The Back Bar – Janesville, WI
• 7/5 – Diesel Concert Theatre- Detroit, MI
• 7/6 – Montage Theater – Rochester, NY
• 7/7 – Shipwrecked Music Hall – Dennisport, MA
• 7/8 – Legendary Dobbs Concert Hall – Philladelphia, PA
• 7/9 – House Of Rock – White Marsh, MD
• 7/10 – Dead Horse Cantina – Mckees Rocks, PA
• 7/11 – Changes Niteclub – New Castle, PA
• 7/12 – Revolution Music Hall – Amityville, NY
• 7/13 – The Rock Junction – West Greenwich, RI
• 7/14 – TBA – New Jersey
• 7/15 – TBA – New York, NY
• 7/16 – Empire – West Sprinfield, VA
• 7/17 – Tink’s Rock House – Marion, OH
• 7/18 – The Tap House – Akron, OH
• 7/19 – TBA – Cleveland, OH
• 7/20 – Tailgators – Bolingbrook, IL
• 7/21 – TBA – St. Louis
• 7/24 - House Of Blues – Houston, TX
• 7/26 – House Of Blues – Dallas, TX
• 7/27 - TBA – San Antonio, TX
• 7/28 – TBA – El Paso, TX

Make sure to get your copy of Adler’s debut 11-track album Back From The Dead. The album features guest appearances by Adler’s former Guns N’ Roses bandmate Slash and Rob Zombie/ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5.

Adler is Steven Adler, frontman Jacob Bunton (Lynam,Mars Electric), guitarist Lonny Paul (Adler’s Appetite), and bassist Johnny Martin (Chelsea Smiles).

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Former Guns N’ Roses bandmates Steven Adler and Duff Mckagan will be presenting the “Riff Lord” award at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show.

The fourth annual Revolver Golden Gods Award Show presented by Epiphone^® will take place Wednesday, April 11, at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles. For the first time ever, the event will be broadcast live in its entirety on Xbox LIVE, as well as on the Xbox and Revolver Facebook pages.

The 2012 Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show will feature one-of-a-kind special performances and collaborations that honor both the past, present and future of heavy music. The night’s hard-rocking musical performances will include sets by Marilyn Manson (in his first U.S. performance in nearly three years); iconic Grammy-winning guitarist Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators; Evanescence; Sixx:A.M. featuring Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe, James Michael, acclaimed rock producer and songwriter, and DJ Ashba of Guns N’ Roses (in their first performance in almost four years); and 2011 Best New Band Golden God Award winner Black Veil Brides, who will perform their only U.S. show of 2012 so far.

Adler, McKagan, Slash, singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin will all be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next month in Cleveland, along with later Guns N’ Roses members, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and drummer Matt Sorum.

Steven Adler’s new band, simply called Adler, will be releasing their debut single “The One That You Hated” April 10th on iTunes.

In addition to Steven, Adler features Lonny Paul (Adler’s Appetite) on guitar and Jacob Bunton (Lynam, Mars Electric) on vocals/guitar. The group has been recording its debut album in Los Angeles with producers Jeff Pilson (former Dokken and current Foreigner/Tooth And Nail bassist) and Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Steel Panther, Adrenaline Mob).

Adler’s CD will feature guest appearances by Rob Zombie/Ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5 and Steven’s former Guns N’ Roses bandmate Slash (guitar).

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Photo by Laura Kirazian

It is always sad when you hear the unfortunate news about one of your favorite rock performers passing. It is more depressing when you realize you really are not all that surprised.

I must admit, I did not expect to hear this bit of depressing news this morning.  But yet, when I heard Jani Lane, former Warrant front-man and main songwriter, being found dead, I almost saw it coming. With so many accounts of drunken-stupor, sloppy stage performances, and several DUI’s in the recent past, Lane seemed headed towards something disastrous. Lane has had a bit of a bumpy road in his life but it still is a punch to the stomach when the inevitable happens.

I was watching the news at about 7AM this morning and the newscaster, just prior to a commercial break,  mentioned “…former 80′s rocker, who was seen on Celebrity Rehab, has died,” then went to a break. My wife Laura and I immediately thought Steven Adler.  We don’t recall seeing Lane on Celebrity Rehab but hey, you know the news – they don’t always get their facts right. When they finally got around to the report, I don’t want to say we were necessarily relieved.  I mean, we are glad Adler didn’t pass but we also didn’t enjoy hearing that Lane was the unfortunate victim. Of course, it was a short segment on Lane almost as if the broadcast was saying, “Who really cares?”  I guess the news has an attitude of ‘Hey, this was just some washed-up dude from a washed up hair-metal band.’  What a shame, especially when thugs-galore are reaping tons of respect in the music industry nowadays with their boring, uninspired rap, and hip-hop. Maybe I expected more simply because Warrant was one of the bands I saw oh-so many times, “back in the day”, and I was hoping for a little more dignity shown towards “our” bands.

Lane was not the greatest singer, so I am not implying that. He was no Robert Plant, Paul Rodgers, or Ronnie James Dio, but so what?  He had a decent voice and was very recognizable. His songwriting skills were amazing. Maybe Lane didn’t get the credit he deserved because he was the frontman of a band that was a child of the 80′s (oh I cringe to say this) “hair-metal” scene. Warrant, like so many other artists, didn’t really get any respect simply because they existed in a time frame – a genre that, outside of its fan-base, is almost always artistically dismissed.

I remember hanging out at Radio City, a rock club, in Anaheim, in 1985, watching a band called Plain Jane. This band, in my jaded ways, impressed me. At the same time there was Poison, a band that, in my opinion, was one of the worst bands I had ever witnessed. Plain Jane took the New York Dolls look; the same one that Poison had “borrowed,” but added catchier melodies to their tunes. For awhile, between the clubs of Orange County and those of Hollywood, there was almost a division of fans: Plain Jane supporters and Poison supporters. I had my money on Plain Jane getting signed and Poison packing it up and calling it a day.  I wouldn’t have bet a nickel on Poison getting anywhere.  Well, we all know how that turned out.

Lane and Plain Jane drummer, Steven “Sticky” Sweet, moved onto Warrant; a band in dire need of……a sound. A style.  Sweet and Lane brought that. Lane all but took over writing memorable songs and commanding the stage, leading Warrant on to become one of the most popular bands on The Sunset Strip. Warrant became the band Plain Jane should have been. Warrant were always fun live and you found yourself humming a tune (or three) after every show. Their choreographed shows were always amazing to watch.

Warrant’s first album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich was a gem in my book. There were always rumors that the band didn’t actually play on the album and I, personally, have no insightful knowledge on that. But I can’t say the same for the songwriting.  See, I remember all of those debut albums tunes from Gazzari’s and it didn’t sound to me like there was much fixing-up. Lane just had a sense for melodic songwriting.

As rock stories go, “this ego meets that ego”, and “this happens, followed by that.” So Lane went off on his own (was asked to leave?), but just couldn’t seem to get too far. He carried some demons in his pocket that seemed to relentlessly keep calling out his name. He eventually came back to Warrant but there were just too many “stories” (and YouTube proof), about on-stage liquid influences that inhibited his performances. It seemed Warrant and Lane were never going to work together again.

I can’t account for Jani Lane’s ways. After all, I would say the majority of us partake in….”things.”  Lane, however, went too far like oh-too many of us sometimes do. Those damned vices often end up sucking the last breath out of one’s life.

I wish Lane, like everyone else, could have separated the “fun factor” from the “danger zone”, though we will probably never ever know what Lane’s true demons were. Jani Lane had a lot of talent and stage persona and he had a lot of reason to have cleaned up his act and perhaps really make everyone see what a talented guy he was.

But sadly, he just becomes another footnote in the book of rock.

UPDATE:  There’s been a small statement made on Jani Lane’s (John Kennedy Oswald) personal website which states:

Jani will be missed by all. Very unexpected and tragic news of his untimely death. Jani just wrote the updated bio (himself) and had been recording lots of new music. God bless him.

Do make sure that you go and check out his updated bio.  It’s the most personal thing I’ve ever read on any artists webpage.

Quite a few of his fellow musicians have made posts/tweets  with their condolences.

Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx, who wrote, “I just heard the sad news about Janie Lane. So hard to swallow when people have kids. RIP.”

Poison singer Bret Michaels, said, “We’d like to offer our deepest condolences to the family of Jani Lane regarding their loss. Respectfully, Bret and all at MEGI.”

Former MTV VJ Martha Quinn  writing, “Super sad news. Janie Lane, dead at 47 … #RIP Jani Lane.”

Slash, Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, former Guns N’ Roses member Steven Adler, Ratt singer Stephen Pearcy and wrestler/rocker Chris Jericho also have made comments as well.

Michael Sweet of Stryper has made several tweets:

I’m sure there’s going to be quite a few memorial guest books floating around but here’s one I’ve found so far…http://www.legacy.com/memorial-sites/music/.   You can also go to Jani’s Facebook page and give your condolences there, as well.

Again, we will continue giving you all the news as we get it.

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The rock community has just lost yet another great musician.  Jani Lane, 47, original frontman for the band Warrant, has passed away.  He was found dead at a Woodland Hills, Calif., Comfort Inn hotel.

There’s been no official cause of death or statement on his web page but there’s quite a few posts from his fans mourning his death on his Facebook page.  We here at Braingell will try to stay on top of any new information and pass it on to you.

ADLER’S APPETITE

With new episodes of the popular Celebrity Rehab series taped, a fresh studio album in the works, and July’s paperback release of his New York Times bestselling book My Appetite for Destruction: Sex, and Drugs, and Guns N’ Roses. Paperback release is due May 17th through Harper Collins and there will be select book signings. Steven Adler is ready to put the past behind him and make 2011 a banner year for the veteran rocker.

“I made a 180 degree turn in my life,” Adler says of his most recent appearance on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Pinskey and Bob Forrest, “It was the best thing I ever did for myself. It genuinely feels like I’m living the ultimate American dream, not only that, but I’m loving it!”

Adler’s autobiography tracks the roller-coaster years since he and junior high classmate Slash joined Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and W. Axl Rose to form Guns N’ Roses and create some of the most indelible heavy music of the late 20th Century. “That book shows all the warts and tattoos and scars of my life in rock and roll,” Adler says. “I’ve burned the candle with superstars and survived to share the story with you. My book came out when we were on tour-I read the book, went home, built a big fire in my fireplace, and I threw my book in it. That’s my past. I want to leave it and move on to the future.”

Steven’s band, Adler’s Appetite, features Michael Thomas on lead guitar, Lonny Paul on rhythm guitar, Chip Z’nuff on bass, Adler on drums, and Patrick Stone on vocals. “We are all excited about bringing the big rock show to our fans on the upcoming tour!” While the live Appetite show rests solidly on G N’ R classics copenned by Adler, such as “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” the band has also released three new songs and are on sale on iTunes. Their latest single is titled “‘Alive,’ Adler says, as in “it’s good to be alive,” while the complete album should drop by the end of the year.

With the NAMM Convention fast approaching this week, the stars will be coming out of the woodwork. If you were unable, like me, to obtain passes, The Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana has two upcoming shows which should more than satisfy your need for stargazing.

Thursday, January 13, will have “Bonzo: The Groove Remains The Same”, a jam-packed line-up of drummers paying homage to the late John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. Arguably, Bonham is rock’s most influential drummer with his instantly recognizable Brontosaurus-stomping approach to the skins.

The show will feature an array of drummers, each loaning their skills, to Zeppelin songs.  Rock and Roll, Black Dog, Whole Lotta Love, and of course, Bonham’s trademark Moby Dick are pretty much guaranteed to be included in the set-list. Quiet Riot’s Frank Banali, Guns and Roses’ Steven Adler, Ratt’s Bobby Blotzer, and Red Hot Chili’s Peppers maniacal Chad Smith, just to name a few, will be displaying their own signature percussive touches to these Zepp classics.  Unlike your typical Led Zeppelin tribute band, this show will focus more on Bonham and with a different drummer sitting in on each song it definitely gives the show a lot more variety and appeal.

Friday, January 14, will be “Guitar Player’s Ball 7″, which like Thursday, will feature an array of impressive talent, this time focusing on an amazing line-up of 6-string slingers.

Amongst those appearing will be is George Lynch. The former Dokken guitarist who was a vital part of that band’s sound but limited in his capabilities within the boundaries of the group’s hard-rock-pop, better displayed his blues-inspired talents with his solo projects – Lynch Mob and The Souls of We.

Gilby Clarke, Izzy Stradlin’s replacement in Guns ‘n Roses, is also scheduled.  His stints with Heart, Slash’s Snakepit, Tommy Lee, and Nancy Sinatra proved that his skills are always in demand for a reason. L.A. Guns’ Traci Guns, one of rocks most underrated guitarists, in my opinion, will also be there.

The name most appealing, to myself anyways, is the amazing Ronnie Montrose. Recording two albums with Sammy Hagar (the self-titled Montrose in 1973 and Paper Mone, in 1974),  Montrose delivered such arena-rock tunes as Rock The Nation, Space Station #5, and Rock Candy (all of which Hagar still includes in his sets). Today’s younger rock fans may not be familiar with Ronnie Montrose since he undeservedly never became a household name. But, if he still delivers the intense, energetic, live performances the way I remember, he will definitely be recruiting a new legion of fans.

Worth mentioning on Friday nights bill is Sunset Stripped, featuring guitarist Erik Turner, and drummer Steven Sweet, both from Warrant. They will be performing acoustic versions of 80s pop-metal tunes, from Bon Jovi, Guns ‘n Roses, Def Leppard, and, of course, Warrant. I definitely can not fail to mention Sweden’s Vains of Jenna who are hell-bent on keeping glam-rock alive with their down and dirty bluesey Hollywood-style rock and roll.

With all these kick-ass musicians who’d want to miss this shit, huh?  Just make sure you write these dates down on your calendar:

Thursday, January 13:  Bonzo:  The Groove Remains the Same

8:00 p.m.

$25.00

Friday, January 14:  Guitar Player’s Ball

8:00 p.m.

$25.00   *   $15.00 with NAMM Badge

Galaxy Concert Theater

3503 S. Harbor Blvd.

Santa Ana, CA  92704

714-597-0600

VH1 has announced the premiere of the fifth season of the distinguished “That Metal Show”.

Guests appearing on the fifth season of “That Metal Show” include:

• May 8th – Lemmy Kilmister
• May 15th – Zakk Wylde
• May 22nd – Rob Halford
• June 5th – Steven Adler & Chip Z’Nuff
• June 12th – Alice Cooper
• June 19th – Rob Zombie
• June 26th – Don Dokken / George Lynch
• July 10th – Slayer (Kerry King / Dave Lombardo)
• July 17th – Scrap Metal

Fans can catch all previous seasons online at VH1Classic.com. New episodes will launch online every Monday morning following each show’s on-air premiere on Saturday night.

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