PAUL McCARTNEY: Back in the U.S.A.?

Paul McCartney is going back on the road. He's posted a photo on Instagram Story of two guitar picks. The white one has his name printed in red, and the blue one says "Got Back in 2025" white. "Got Back" has been the name of his tour since 2022, which was the last time he toured the U.S. With the guitar picks displaying the colors red, white and blue, there's speculation that he'll tour the U.S. The post links to a registration form to receive “information on tour dates, pre-sales and much more.”

McCartney's last public U.S. performances were this past February when he did three club shows in New York City along with a performance on Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special. His last tour was in the fall of 2024 in South America, Central America, France, Spain and England.

Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne's Final Concert Raised Nearly $200 Million for Charity

Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's "Back to the Beginning" festival raised almost $200 million for charity, benefiting Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Acorn Children's Hospice. The final concert, featuring Metallica, Slayer, and Pantera, was a massive success, with all artists performing for free. The event, organized by Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello, generated over $150 million from ticket sales alone. The concert, held in Birmingham, England, was part of a series of events expected to boost the local economy by £20 million. Sharon Osbourne expressed gratitude for the city's significance to Ozzy and Black Sabbath.

BLACK SABBATH: Postive Post Mortem

Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi is pleased with how their reunion show went last Saturday in their hometown of Birmingham, England. He commented on doing a concert with drummer Bill Ward for the first time in 20 years, as well as Ozzy given his health challenges. "I'm really a bit of a perfectionist, but they can only do what they can do, and you can't expect anything else. We're in our seventies and late seventies, so you can only do so much. And to expect perfection from everybody is just impossible at the moment. But they did what they could do, and everybody was fine about it. And I think the audience would know that and accepted that. They weren't expecting us to go on and be absolutely just brilliant players. We played as we played and as we are now."

Iommi's other concern was Ozzy doing his own set right before Sabbath's. "We thought that he should have a longer break. And we didn't really know how we were gonna do it, because the original plan was we'd get a curtain and the curtain was gonna be raised and we'd all be there. But of course ... the day before, when we did a soundcheck -- the curtain didn't work and they thought best not to use it 'cause it was windy. So then we had to figure out how we were gonna get on stage, which was a revolving stage, by the way. It was mainly getting Ozz on, because he's in his throne. And then Geezer [Butler] and I walk on. And Bill was already on. So it was making it up as we went on, really." Oh, and as for 77-year-old Ward taking off his shirt during their set, Iommi said, "Oh my God. I'll tell you one funny story. When we had a break on one of the rehearsals, we went in to eat at the studio, and Bill got his shirt off, and [bassist] Geezer was just about to have a sandwich. He went, 'Oh, Bill put your shirt on. You're putting me off the sandwich.' [Laughs] But it's typical Bill. He is always taking his shirt off every time. I mean, in the old days, he'd always take his shirt off... He just doesn't care. He goes on and does what he wants, which is great..." Sabbath were scheduled to do seven songs but had to cut it short due to the curfew. Iommi adds that at the end of the day the "main thing" was that it "raised a lot of money for the charities... And it was great to see the guys and all be together again for a few weeks, really, while we were rehearsing and got to know each other again. It was good, yeah." Proceeds from the show will support Cure Parkinson's, the Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.

Echoing Iommi's sentiments are two of the night's participants -- Sammy Hagar and former Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing. Hagar says, "I can’t say enough about how impressed, inspired and touched I am about the Back to the Beginning event, especially Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler. They not just did it, they crushed it! And let’s not forget about all the musicians that showed up and gave it up for all the right reasons.

"As for me being asked to be a part of this event, it meant the world and actually doing it in real time is something I’ll never forget. How bout some extra love and respect for Sharon Osbourne and [musical director] Tom Morello and all the technicians, crew, security, and fans that made this event not just happen, but made it one of the greatest rock events of all time."

Downing says, "I cannot praise everyone enough that was involved with organizing this wonderful event. The curtain went up for me and my amazing bandmates and everything had come magically together. This event was truly in the hands of top professionals... "I cannot end without saying a massive thank you to Sharon, Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill for making all of this possible, and for their great contribution to a very worthy charity. "I think King Charles III of England should now prepare to award Sharon and the Mighty BLACK SABBATH each a very well-deserved knighthood." The entire event was filmed so stay tuned for when and how it will be released.

Ozzy And Oasis Get Huge Catalog Boosts After Weekend Concerts

One said "hello again," while the other said "goodbye forever." Either way, the first reunion concert from Oasis and the final bow for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath had the same effect when it comes to streaming. Both Ozzy and Oasis saw huge boosts in their catalog's streaming numbers after last weekend's concerts. Oasis’ catalog drew a combined 5.8-million on-demand U.S. streams in the three days following the band’s July 4 show, nearly doubling its streams from the three-day period the prior week. And Ozzy (and his band) saw a similar bump, with Ozzy racking up 4.4-million total streams (up 95-percent over the week prior). Sabbath also saw streaming gains of 104-percent over the same period. Not a bad way to go out - or come back.

PEARL JAM: Former Drummers Speak Out After Cameron Leaves

The surprise news of Matt Cameron leaving Pearl Jam this week has inspired numerous rumors about who might be his replacement. And those rumors have included two of the band's previous drummers -- Dave Krusen and Dave Abbruzzese.

Krusen played on Ten and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 alongside Cameron, Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament and Mike McCready. He played with the band at the ceremony and in 2022 he filled in when Cameron missed some shows due to Covid. Krusen Tuesday said that he was "surprised" by Cameron's decision "but I'm excited for him and his new adventures, whatever he's got planned." He added that if they need him again, he'd love to do it. "Of course I would love to jam with those guys again, anytime, they know that. The Hall of Fame thing was amazing and then sitting in with them, it was like no time had passed. It's just effortless getting to play with those guys so, of course, I would love to."

Dave Abbruzzese, who was in the band from 1991 to 1994 and still holds a grudge about not being inducted into the Rock Hall, posted on his Facebook page that he'd thought about getting back in the drum seat but thinks it's not in the cards. “The fact that I haven’t had any personal contact with any of them leads me to believe the water under the bridge runs too deep and too icy for there to be any reconnection or reconciliation. This is a shame and saddens me, greatly. I know I could and would have much to contribute if indeed the call came, but sadly, I don’t see that happening."

ROLLING STONES: Woodshedding

Ronnie Wood is not only celebrating his 50th anniversary as a member of The Rolling Stones, but he's also celebrating his 60-year career with an anthology collection on CD and vinyl.

Fearless: Anthology 1965-2025 features key tracks from his seven studio albums, as well as co-writes and other key career moments with The Rolling Stones, Faces, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Lane and The Jeff Beck Group, as well as his teenage bands The Birds and, briefly, The Creation. The set also includes four new songs, his first since 2010. Three of them are covers -- Allen Toussaint's "A Certain Girl," featuring Chrissie Hynde on vocals, The Falcons' "You're So Fine" with Imelda May providing additional vocals, a remake of Hopeton Lewis's "Take It Easy," again with Imelda May, and a new song, "Mother of Pearl." It will be released on CD and vinyl on September 26th. One of the new songs, "You're So Fine," is now streaming.

WOLFGANG VAN HALEN: The End Comes in October

Mammoth -- a.k.a. Wolfgang Van Halen -- will release its third album, The End, on October 24th. And like the first two Mammoth albums, Wolfgang plays all the instruments and does all the vocals. The video for "The Spell," the new single from The End, shows that off talent as four different versions of Wolfgang play instruments in the clip. Watch it on YouTube.

Mammoth started a tour with Creed last night (Wednesday) in Lexington, Kentucky. The band will launch a headlining tour on October 31st in a city to be announced.

DAVID BOWIE: The Last of the Studio Boxes

The sixth in the series of career-spanning box sets from the David Bowie archives will be out on September 12th. I Can't Give Everything Away (2002-2016) will be available as a 13-CD set, an 18-piece vinyl set, a digital download and on streaming services. It includes 2002's Heathen, 2003's Reality, 2010's A Reality Tour (in a new sequence that follows the set list of his 2003 shows in Dublin, Ireland), 2013's The Next Day and The Next Day Extra EP, 2016's Blackstar and 2017's No Plan EP. There's also previously unreleased live album Montreux Jazz Festival that was recorded in 2002 and the compilation Re:Call 6, which features 41 rare non-album tracks spread over three CDs. The first track shared from the set "New Killer Star" done for Sessions at AOL on September 23rd, 2003. Check it out on YouTube.

ROGER WATERS: Wanted?

Earlier this week we reported on Roger Waters posting a video on his social media last Saturday stating that he “supports Palestine Action” and declaring his independence from the UK following a Parliament ruling that the organization is now proscribed as a terrorist group under the Terrorism Act 2000. Membership of Palestine Action, or expressing public support for the group, is a criminal offense in Britain. Palestine Action is a pro-Palestinian organization that disrupts the arms industry in the United Kingdom with direct action. They are protesting British factories of Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.

As a result of Waters voicing his support for the group in its ongoing fight against the Israeli government, he is risking being prosecuted, and if found to be in contempt, he could face up to 14 years in jail. On Saturday, as Waters made his announcement, police in London arrested 29 people in Parliament Square for holding placards stating, "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action." In his video, Waters showed a sign he made, which reads: "I ROGER WATERS SUPPORT PALESTINE ACTION. 5th of July 2025. Parliament has been corrupted by agents of a genocidal foreign power! STAND UP AND BE COUNTED. IT'S NOW!!!"

"I declare my independence from the government of the UK who've just designated Palestine Action a proscribed terrorist organization. For the record, 5th of July, I support Palestine Action. It's a great organization. They are a non-violent protest organization protesting the presence in the UK of Elbit Systems who are an Israeli arms manufacturing organization. We will not be rolled over by this appalling Labour government in the United Kingdom. Palestine Action is not a terrorist organization. So they are lying. And they have put their lies into the lore of the land. We must support our brothers and sisters in Palestine. Support them no matter what."

Labeled an anti-Semite for his beliefs, Waters has not commented on possibly risking prosecution. In 2024, during an interview with Piers Morgan, Gene Simmons, an Israeli Jew who was born and raised in Israel, agreed with Waters and his fight against the Israeli government.

GS: “There is a difference between a political statement about Israel and about anti-Semitism. By the way, anti-Semitism also involves Arabs; the definition of a Semite includes the Arab world. So, I think he's a well-meaning guy. I don't agree with his point of views, of course…”

PM: “So, do you think he’s anti-Semitic or do you think he’s anti-Israel?”

GS: “No, I think he is, from my point of view, inflamed, angry about the political situation — as we all are – and I'm Israeli and Jewish. My mother was in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. We agree there absolutely should be an Arab state, Palestine — no question about it. It should exist side by side with Israel. So what's the problem?"

King Crimson Recording First New Album Since 2003

King Crimson singer and guitarist Jakko Jakszyk revealed that the band is working on a new studio album, although the release date is uncertain. The final live lineup of Robert Fripp's band has been slowly building the record over time. Jakszyk discussed his addition to Crimson in 2013 and the collaborative album A Scarcity of Miracles with Fripp. The upcoming album will feature Tony Levin, Mel Collins, Pat Mastelotto, Gavin Harrison, and Jeremy Stacey, with studio versions of material performed during recent tours. Jakszyk also mentioned plans for a reissue of A Scarcity of Miracles and potential live film releases.

Jimi Hendrix Experience copyright trial set for December

A legal battle over the copyright to Jimi Hendrix’s music is set to go to trial at the High Court later this year. The estates of Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix's bandmates, are taking legal action against Sony Music Entertainment UK, claiming ownership of the copyright and performers’ rights on three albums. Redding and Mitchell, who formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience with the guitarist in 1966, both died in the 2000s. Sony's lawyer argued that the company has commercially exploited the recordings since 2009, and that Hendrix's father was the sole heir to his estate. The court is being asked to allow an amendment to Sony's defense to show the chain of title of the rights over the years.

Kevin Cronin Posts Video Of Son, Daughter Singing "Helplessly Hoping"

Perhaps the only thing Kevin Cronin loves more than listening to Crosby, Stills and Nash is listening to his kids sing Crosby, Stills and Nash. The former REO Speedwagon frontman recently posted a video on social media of his son Shane and his daughter Holly singing "Helplessly Hoping." Cronin comments that Crosby, Stills and Nash are among his "all-time musical heroes." The Kevin Cronin Band and Styx will be in Virginia this weekend as part of their "Brotherhood of Rock" tour.

IN OTHER NEWS

Pat Benatar and her guitarist/husband Neil Giraldo will do a Q&A at the Cleveland Public Library’s Martin Luther King Junior Campus on September 3rd. Sponsored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the free event will focus on their children’s book, My Grandma and Grandpa Rock, which will be published on September 9th. The Library will provide 300 free, signed copies on a first-come, first-served basis.

Live Aid’s 40th anniversary this Sunday – July 13th, 1985 – will be celebrated that night in a CNN four-part special. Live Aid: When Rock ’n’ Roll Took on the World, features interviews with Bob Geldof, Bono, Sting, Phil Collins and Lionel Richie. It premieres at 9pm ET.

Mick Jagger and Elton John were among the guests Tuesday night at the State Banquet for French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.

John Fogerty posted a video on Instagram of him and Bruce Springsteen performing "Rockin’ All Over the World” in London's Hyde Park in 2012, and Springsteen doing it last week in Milan. The Fogerty song has become the standard last song at Springsteen's tour finales after having played it in 2009, 2012 and 2016.

A trailer has been released for the Marc Bolan documentary Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan and T-Rex. Having premiered in 2022 at New York’s Tribeca Festival, it will open in theaters on August 9th followed by On Demand on September 5th. The trailer features interviews with Elton John, Ringo Starr, Billy Idol and Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott. You can watch it on YouTube.

103.7 NNJ