Photo Credit: ©Christie Goodwin

Black Country Communion, the Anglo/American rock supergroup comprising vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Trapeze), drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) and blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa ae now on tour  in support of their much anticipated second album. The album, simply called “2” is  released on June 13^th.
The band have just released a video for the track Man In The Middle.

The BCC dates are as follows;

09 June- San Diego, California San Diego Civic Theatre United States

10 June- Anaheim, California City National Grove of Anaheim United States

11 June- Salt Lake City, Utah The Depot United States

13 June- St. Louis, Missouri The Pageant United States

15 June- Indianapolis, Indiana Murat Theatre at Old National Centre United States

17 June- Hampton, New Hampshire Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom United States

18 June- Sayreville, New Jersey Starland Ballroom United States

19 June- Washington D.C.  9:30 Club United States

23 June- Vitoria Azkena Rock Festival Spain

25 June- Sursee Summer Sound Fest Switzerland

28 June- Vigevano Castle Sforzesco Festival Italy

30 June- Stuttgart Killersberg Germany

01 July- Offenbach Stadthalle Offenbach Germany

04 July- Munich Zenith Germany

05 July- Berlin Zitadelle Germany

06 July- Hamburg Stadtpark Germany

09 July- Deurne OLT Rivierenhof Belgium

10 July- Weert  Bospop Festival Netherlands

12 July- Copenhagen KB-Hallen Denmark

14 July- Bonn Museumsplatz Germany

16 July- Vienna Vienna Opera House Austria

17 July- Loket Loket Amphitheatre Czech Republic

19 July- Paris Bataclan France

21 July- Dublin VIcar Street Ireland

23 July- Llandudno Cymru Arena United Kingdom

24 July- London High Voltage Festival-Victoria Park United Kingdom

26 July- Leeds O2 Academy United Kingdom

27 July- Newcastle O2 Academy United Kingdom

29 July- Glasgow O2 Academy United Kingdom

30 July- Manchester O2 Academy United Kingdom

02 August- Stockholm Cirkus Sweden

05 August- Notodden Notodden Blues Festival Norway

If you get to see the BCC show – we welcome feedback reviews and pics:

Here’s some words form TBL contributor Stephen Humphries who attended Friday’s show:

Saw Black Country Communion on Friday night and they were utterly fantastic. Glenn Hughes is about the only guy of his vintage who can still hit the highest of high notes. Jason Bonham was terrific. The star of the show was Joe Bonamassa. Show ended with a great rendition of Deep Purple’s “Burn

Here’s a review of the album from the latest TBL magazine -which also includes exclusive interviews with Glenn Hughes and Jason Bonham:

BCC2: Classic Rock Assured

Black Country Communion 2 (Mascot Records)

So here they are again. Two albums in the space of a year- and the BCC impetus remains the same. The opener The Outsider sets the tone with a full on Purple-esque assault with Joe and Derek interlocking in Lord/Blackmore time honored tradition. There’s an assured confidence in the playing throughout the album, clearly honed by this famous five enjoying each other’s company. This is perfectly demonstrated on the funk rock of Man in the Middle where every break is nailed with ease. Bonamassa’s The Battle For Hadrian’s Wall is packed full of light and shade dynamics, while Cold and the bluesy Little Secret best represents the darker side of the song compositions (as Glenn explained ). Smokestack Woman swaggers across the speakers as Joe weaves in a little bit of theremin – this one will be a bit of a mother performed live.

Unsurprisingly, given its post 02 Jason origins, Save Me is the undoubted highlight. Opening dreamily before kicking into a full on Zeppelinesque riff, there’s also a Kashmir mellotron effect in there, not to mention a slight For Your life-ish descending chord sequence. Derivative it may be, but it comes stamped with BCC authority – as does the whole album. At an hour long, a little economy and editing might not have gone amiss, but as an exercise in the flexing of what we know and love as classic rock, BCC2 does what it says on the tin. Most convincingly. (DL )

Black Country Communion 2 is released by Mascot Records on June 13th.  Black Country Communion tours the UK in July.  Special Guest is Michael Schenker.  Dates include Llandudno Cymru Arena (July 23), High Voltage Festival (July 24), Leeds O2 Academy (July 26), Newcastle 02 Academy (July 27), Glasgow O2 Academy (July 29), Manchester Academy (July 30).  Ticket Hotline: 0871 230 1101.  Book Online: www.seetickets.com and www.thegigcartel.com.

Glenn Hughes now has a regular slot on Planet Rock

Fans worldwide can listen to Glenn’s new radio show every Sunday at 6pm details here  – http://www.planetrock.com/newscentre/rock-news/glenn-hughes-joins-planet-rock-1989

More Planet Rock Radio updates: Dave Lewis will be appearing on Nicky Horne’s show talking about the Led Zeppelin Feather In the Wind -Over Europe 1980 book on Tuesday June 14th after 7pm. Jason Bonham is on My Planet Rock’s next SundayJune 19th  playing his favourite records for an hour.

Robert Plant and The Band Of Joy are also back on tour. They commence in the US before moving in to Europe, Eastern Europe, then back into central Europe before finishing up at the Big Chill Festival in Herefordshire. The dates are as follows;

USA Tour:

June

8th – San Diego, CA, Copley Symphony Hall

9th – Highland, CA, San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino

12th – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

13th – Columbus, OH, Palace Theatre

15th – St. Louis, MO, Fabulous Fox Theatre

16th – Ravinia Festival At Ravinia Park, Highland Park, IL

19th – Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Colorado

21st – Winnipeg, MB, Centennial Concert Hall

23rd – Ottawa, ON, Confederation Park

24th – Montreal, Quebec, Canada – Montreal Jazz Festival

25th – Atlantic City, NJ, Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa / Event Ctr.

EUROPEAN TOUR:

July 19 – ITALY, Rome – Rock in Roma -Ippodromo Delle Capannelle (co bill with Ben Harper)

July 20 – ITALY, Milan – Arena Civica (co bill with Ben Harper)

July 22 – FRANCE, Nimes – Festival De Nimes, Les Roman Arenes (co bill with Ben Harper)

July 25 – Lithuania, TRAKAI TUBORG GREEN ROCK CASTLE

July 27 – RUSSIA, St Petersburg – New Arena

July 29 – RUSSIA, Moscow – Crocus Hall

July 31 – Ukraine, KIEV – National Palace Ukraine.

Aug 2 – POLAND, Warsaw – Torwar

Aug 3 – GERMANY, Berlin – Zitadelle

Aug 5 – BELGIUM, Lokeren – Lockersee Festival

Aug 7 – Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire – Big Chill Festival

Again we weclome your reviews and feedabck/pics etc.

John Paul Jones continued his affiliation with veteran Californian bluesman Seasick Steve with an appearance at London’s Camden Electric Ballroom, on 26th May, for Concerts for Homelessness. John performed  as part of the power trio, as Steve refers it as, playing a wide array of instruments including banjo, mandolin, lap steel guitar and the pinkish fender bass guitar as well as a Gibson ES-335 bass guitar.

The barn-stomping set was captured by a 360 degree camera that can be viewed via this link for a limited time only, www.guardian.co.uk-seasick-steve-live-3d , just drag your mouse over the screen to move the camera angle, ingenious.

André Paine’s from This Is London reported, “Pretty good band, huh?” was Steven Wold’s understated recognition of his extraordinary musicians for this benefit gig.

The veteran Californian bluesman, better known as Seasick Steve, was admiring the contribution not only of his grizzly bear of a drummer, Dan Magnusson, but also John Paul Jones. The Led Zeppelin bassist is a fan and he joined in for this Streets of London show for The
Connection at St Martin’s, a day centre for the homeless.

Jones guests on the latest Seasick Steve album, You Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks, so this power trio in Camden offered an established collaboration rather than a glorified celebrity endorsement. Jones may have lacked the whiskery beards of his band mates but his chunky bass sound was an easy fit with their ragged blues-rock.

The focus was on pounding, ramshackle rhythms powered by some astonishing makeshift guitars, including one known as the Morris Minor made from hubcaps.

There were folk and country textures, too, and Jones played banjo on Treasures, a fittingly sad song about Wold’s hobo life in the Seventies. For the bluesy ballad Walkin’ Man, Wold strummed and serenaded a female fan, while Jones plucked at a mandolin.

Back in the Doghouse was a wonderful bad luck anthem, and the new album title track had a defiant tone from Wold, who is apparently 70 though he can still get away with wearing a vest on stage.

He had an incredible control over his guitars, too, even if they did sometimes fall apart mid-song.

But that was the joy of this performance: furious, frantic and as far from a slick rock group as you could hope to get.Seasick Steve new album ‘You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks’ has just been released and features contributions from John Paul Jones and is produced by Jack White. Steve will also undertake a series of festival shows in the UK and Europe. The dates are as follows.

Saturday 11th June Isle of Wight Festival, Isle of Wight, Saturday 18th June Gold Coast Ocean fest 2011, Croyde Bay, UK, 30th June 2011 Rock Werchter, Werchter, Belgium, 7th July Optimus Alive Festival, Lisbon, Portugal, 9th July Bilbao BBK, Spain, 14th July International Pori Jazz
Festival 2011, Pori, Finland, Saturday 16th July Latitude Festival 2011 Southwold, Suffolk, UK, Sunday 17th July Larmer Tree Festival 2011, Larmer Tree Gardens (Wiltshire / Dorset Border), UK, Saturday 23rd July Grass Roots 2011, Val de la Mare Reservoir, Jersey, Sunday 31st July The Park 2011, Marlay Park, Dublin, Friday 5th August  Stockton Weekender, Stockton, UK, Friday 12th August Cropredy Festival, Near Banbury, UK, Saturday 27th August Reading Festival, Reading, UK and Sunday 28th August Leeds Festival, Leeds, UK

Stop Press: John Paul Jones joined Seasick Steve for his set at the Isle of Wight Festival on Saturday

see more at

http://www.nme.com/news/seasick-steve/57256

Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience was forced to postponed last Friday night’s show at the Greek Theatre and several other dates due to  singer James Dylan being taken ill.
The Greek show has been rescheduled for Oct. 14. Other affected shows include a stop Saturday in Las Vegas, which has been moved to Oct. 15. Dates that had been slated in Sacramento and Napa Valley earlier this week are still being rescheduled.
Tickets from the originally scheduled shows will be honoured at the new dates, or ticket buyers can get refunds at the point of purchase.
In the Led Zeppelin Experience show, Jason’s band has been playing upwards of two dozen songs from the group’s catalogue.

Home Of Metal Exhibition:

An exhibition celebrating the role of the Black Country area in the development of Rock and Heavy Metal kicks off this month: Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is holding an exhibition called Home Of Metal: 40 Years Of Heavy Metal And Its Unique Birthplace. It brings together previously unseen memorabilia borrowed from hardcore fans. They will be placed alongside iconic items such as Black Sabbath’s infamous Mob Rules stage cross, Judas Priest costumes and handwritten Napalm Death lyrics. The show also explores the ingredients that made Heavy Metal in the first place. That means looking at our region’s industrial heritage, along with its passion for early blues-rock. Wolverhampton Art Gallery is also getting in on the act with, You Should Be Living – The Visual Language Of Heavy Metal. The New Art Gallery Walsall, the Walsall Leather Museum, Dudley Museum & Art Gallery, and other local institutes of learning will be holding special events to celebrate the sound that woke-up the world.

Full details here:

http://www.homeofmetal.com/

Hats Off To Roy Harper:

Roy Harper was 70 yesterday (June 12th). The long term Led Zep associate will be celebrating this landmark birthday with a special concert at the Royal Festival Hall on November 5th 2011. More details at

http://www.royharper.co.uk/magento/news

Bob Harris – OBE

I am sure you will join all here in offering congratulations to the legendary broadcaster and similar long term Zep/Plant supporter Bob Harris on being awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Here’s some news from tribute band Lez Zeppelin

Lez Zeppelin be playing a gig in the Washington, D.C. area shortly after Memorial Day Weekend, on June 18 at the State Theatre in Falls Church  We figure the best way to deal with the sudden drought of a “Zep Fest” is a good, hefty barrage of Zeppelin! More details at http://www.lezzeppelin.com/

And finally

Trent Reznor has teamed up with Karen O to record a version of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song to be featured in the forthcoming movie The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The Nine Inch Nails front man will be suppling the whole score for the film, starring Daniel Craig and is due in the cinema late December.