Velvet Revolver Reunite, Cover Pink Floyd (with Video)

As we reported before, Velvet Revolver reunited Thursday night at the House of Blues in West Hollywood for a one-off, charity performance. The supergroup played together for the first time since singer Scott Weiland left the band in 2008, according to Spin.

The event was organized by VR guitarist Dave Kushner to help the widow of his friend, composer and music supervisor John O’Brien. Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum, Kushner and Weiland delivered four songs, three Velvet Revolver originals (“Sucker Train Blues,” “She Builds Quick Machines” and “Slither”) and a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.”

You can check out a fan-shot video of part of “Wish You Were Here” – including Slash’s bluesy solo – below.

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Pink Floyd to Reunite for Olympics?

More than a few legendary bands have been rumored to reunite for the opening and/or closing ceremonies at this summer’s Olympic Games in London. Recent speculation has included the reformations of Queen, Led Zeppelin and some new version of The Beatles.

Now, the London Evening Standard is positing that the surviving members of Pink Floyd will team up for the big event. Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason last got together at one of the London stops on Waters’ The Wall tour. Of course, those three musicians and the late Rick Wright also reunited at 2005’s Live 8 concert.

“Its long been made clear it would take something very special to get Pink Floyd back together again and it doesn’t get any bigger than the Olympics,” an insider said. “Like Sir Paul [McCartney, rumored to play at the opening ceremonies] they have been a major part of the nation's culture over the past 40 years and it will be very fitting that they’re involved when London is on show to the world. It’s hoped everything can be confirmed in the coming weeks.”

Update: A representative for Gilmour contacted NME to deny that a Pink Floyd reunion was taking place: “David Gilmour can confirm that there is no truth in recent media speculation about Pink Floyd reuniting to perform for the 2012 London Olympics.”

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Velvet Revolver Reunite!

Slash may be busy on his next “solo” album, but Velvet Revolver are reuniting. It will be a one-off gig this month, with singer Scott Weiland and no other shows are planned.

The occasion is Love You Madly: A Concert For John O’Brien on Thursday, January 12 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. Also scheduled to appear are Adam Levine and James Valentine (Maroon 5), Sheryl Crow, Tom Morello and Stephen Stills.

Of his time in Velvet Revolver, Weiland recently told The Pulse of Radio: “That was right when I was getting off dope and those guys were all sober and clean, and I had a very special kind of kinship because we’d all experienced the same things ... It was a great band to see live, and I think we made two exciting albums.”

Love You Madly: A Concert For John O'Brien pays tribute to award-winning ASCAP composer John O’Brien, who was found dead in his Chicago hotel room in August. He composed the music for Nightwatch, Iron Man and many other movies and TV shows.

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The Beach Boys Reunite for New Album and World Tour

The Beach Boys have announced plans to reform for their 50th anniversary. Founding members Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, plus David Marks and Bruce Johnston, plan a new studio album and a 50-date international tour beginning in April.

No touring dates have yet been confirmed, but the band will appear as headliners at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (April 27 to May 6, 2012).

New commemorative releases are also planned for 2012, including a new Beach Boys hits collection and a career-spanning box set.

Frontman Brian Wilson said of the reunion: “This anniversary is special to me because I miss the boys and it will be a thrill for me to make a new record and be on stage with them again.”

Mike Love added: “We got together at Capitol Records and re-recorded ‘Do It Again.’ Brian and I wrote that song which went to #1 in Great Britain, Australia and elsewhere some 44 years ago. Brian paid me a compliment saying, ‘How can a guy sound that great so many years later?’ Later on, while working out some harmonies on a new song Brian had written, I got a chance to return the compliment.

“Music has been the unifying and harmonizing fact of life in our family since childhood. It has been a huge blessing that we have been able to share with the world. Wouldn’t it be nice to do it again? Absolutely!”

The Beach Boys formed in 1961 and frontman/main-writer Brian Wilson last performed with the band during the making of their 1996 album Stars And Stripes Vol. 1. Wilson has toured as a solo artist since. Two former members, Brian’s brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, died in 1983 and 1998. By April next year, Mike Love will be 71. Brian Wilson is 69.

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McCartney & Lennon Really Did Almost Reunite

Paul McCartney has confirmed that he and John Lennon almost reunited on American TV in the ‘70s.

The Daily Express reports that McCartney was visiting his Beatle buddy in New York when Lennon said they should take up an offer to appear on the TV show,  Saturday Night Live.

McCartney told Access Hollywood: “He said, 'we should go down, just you and me... we'll say, 'there's only two of us, we'll make half the money...' and for a second...”

The reunion, however, failed to happen. "It would have been work and we were having a night off and so we elected to not go... It was a nice idea. We nearly did it."
McCartney also told Quiteus.com that he’s interested in working with Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz fame: "We have kind of talked. Nothing serious, but I like what they do. I have run into Damon at things and we have talked. It's got near a couple of times but we never had the time, I suppose."

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Singer Wants to Reunite Fall Out Boy Before He’s 40

It may be less than two years since Fall Out Boy went on indefinite hiatus, but singer Patrick Stump says he’s open to reuniting sooner rather than later.

Stump took to his blog to respond to an article in last week’s Alternative Press, which claimed he said he doesn’t want to play material he wrote when he was 17 when he is 40 (Stump is 27 now). “That quote is way taken out of context,” he said. “As is the implication that I ‘don’t want to do Fall Out Boy when I’m 40’ (which is literally not a quote of mine). All I meant by any of it is that I don’t want to wait until I’m 40 to do another Fall Out Boy record, and if it takes that long, then I won’t do one.”

Stump went on to say he is confident that the band will have a new album out sooner rather than later, but that there are currently no plans. “No ‘two years,’ no ‘six years,’ no parameters,” he said. “It might happen later than any of that, it might happen sooner. It is literally, as it’s always been, an indefinite hiatus. We never did breakup, we’re still friends, and we still would like to make music together.”

Stump then called for the issue to be put to rest. “I think I’ve talked about it enough in the past two years and if anything it’s silly talking about hypotheticals in detail,” he said. “…from here on until Fall Out Boy does have actual news, I’m going to just not talk about it.”

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