slash snakepit

Slash's Snakepit were an American rock supergroup from Los Angeles, California, formed by then-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash in 1993. Though often described as a solo or side project, Slash stated that Snakepit was a band, with equal contributions by all members. The first lineup of the band consisted of Slash, two of his Guns N' Roses band mates — drummer Matt Sorum and guitarist Gilby Clarke — as well as Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez and former Jellyfish live guitarist Eric Dover on lead vocals.
Their debut album, It's Five O'Clock Somewhere, was released in 1995. For the tour in support, Slash enlisted James LoMenzo and Brian Tichy, of Pride and Glory, in place of Inez and Sorum who had other commitments. Slash's Snakepit toured the US, Europe, Japan and Australia before Geffen pulled their financial support for the tour, with Slash returning to Guns N' Roses and Slash's Snakepit disbanding.

Following his departure from Guns N' Roses in 1996, Slash formed the cover band Slash's Blues Ball. After a tour in 1997, Slash approached Blues Ball bassist Johnny Griparic about forming a new lineup of Slash's Snakepit. The new lineup consisted of Slash, Griparic, singer Rod Jackson as well as former Alice Cooper solo band members Ryan Roxie on guitar and Matt Laug on drums. They recorded and released their second album entitled Ain't Life Grand in 2000, which was preceded by a tour supporting AC/DC and followed by their own headlining tour. For the tour, Keri Kelli joined the group in place of Ryan Roxie, who departed following the completion of the album. However, after the final show, Slash's Snakepit disbanded.Formation (1993–1994)
Following the two and a half year world tour in support of the albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II,[1][2] Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash returned to Los Angeles.[2] He soon sold his home, the Walnut House, and moved to Mulholland Drive.[3] There, he built a small home studio, nicknamed The Snakepit,[4] over his garage and began working on demos for songs he had written during the tour.[3][5] Slash worked with Guns N' Roses band mate Matt Sorum on the demos, before Gilby Clarke and Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez joined them, jamming and recording most nights.[3][5] Slash played the demos for Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose who rejected the material,[3][4][5] though he would later want to use them for the next Guns N' Roses album.[5] By 1994, they had recorded twelve songs,[6] whilst Guns N' Roses went on hiatus that same year.[4]
During the recording of the demos, Guns N' Roses released the covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?".[7][8] Slash, Sorum, Clarke and Duff McKagan also got together to write material for the next Guns N' Roses album[9] before Rose fired Clarke and replaced him with guitarist Paul Tobias.[9][10] Slash decided to record the Snakepit demos with Sorum, Clarke and Inez,[11] later adding former Jellyfish live guitarist Eric Dover as lead vocalist.[5][11][12] The decision to record with Dover led to a disagreement between Slash and Sorum, due to Slash not seeking Sorum's approval.[12]
[edit]It's Five O'Clock Somewhere and breakup (1994–1996)

Beggars & Hangers-On

A sample of "Beggars & Hangers-On" from It's Five O'Clock Somewhere. The band's first single from It's Five O'Clock Somewhere was co-written by Slash's Guns N' Roses band mate Duff McKagan.
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Slash and Dover wrote the lyrics to all twelve songs[12] with Slash using the songwriting to vent his frustrations.[12] Clarke contributed the song "Monkey Chow" to the album[13] while "Jizz da Pit" is an instrumental by Slash and Inez.[13] They recorded the album at Conway Recording Studios and The Record Plant[13] with Mike Clink[12] and Slash co-producing,[13] as well as mixers Steven Thompson and Michael Barbiero,[13] all of whom had worked with Guns N' Roses on their debut album Appetite for Destruction.[14][15] The album featured contributions by Duff McKagan, co-writing "Beggars & Hangers-On,"[4][16] Dizzy Reed on keyboards,[16] Teddy Andreadis on harmonica, and Paulinho da Costa on percussion.[13] Slash's brother, Ash Hudson, also designed the album's cover.[4]
The resulting album, titled It's Five O'Clock Somewhere, was released in February 1995 through Geffen Records.[17] The album's title was taken from a phrase Slash overheard at an airport.[4] At the insistence of the record label, the album was released under the name Slash's Snakepit, instead of The Snakepit, despite Slash not wanting his name used.[4] Upon release, the album charted at number 70 on the Billboard 200[18] and number 15 on the UK Albums Chart.[4] It's Five O'Clock Somewhere went on to sell over a million copies and was certified platinum by the RIAA.[4][19] "Beggars & Hangers-On" was released as the first, and only, single from the album[8] while they also shot music videos.[12]
"We were in the midst of booking another leg when I was informed by Geffen that they'd sold a million copies of It's Five O'Clock Somewhere and had turned a profit so they saw no reason for me to continue our tour. I was to return to L.A. because Axl was ready to begin working on the next Guns N' Roses record. They'd thought it through: in case I objected, they made it clear that the financial tour support for Snakepit was over."[19]
—Slash on Geffen pulling tour support.
Critically, the album received mainly positive reviews. Metal Hammer stated that "the sleazy, downtrodden blues hard rock [...] breaks new ground."[4] Allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine called Slash's contributions "quite amazing", though criticised the song-writing, claiming "it's too bad that nobody in the band bothered to write any songs."[17] Devon Jackson of Entertainment Weekly described the album as "relaxed headbanging and Southern-tinged blues-rock"[20] while Classic Rock reviewer Malcolm Dome stated "musically, it's a loose-limbed record that has a lot of heavy guitar-led punk-style pop-rock."[4] Slash's Snakepit toured in support of the album, with bassist James LoMenzo and drummer Brian Tichy, of Pride & Glory, replacing Inez and Sorum,[4][8][11] who had opted out of touring and returned to Guns N' Roses.[4] They toured the US, Europe, Japan and Australia[8] with Slash stating that "for the first time in years, touring was easy, [his] band mates were loads of fun and low on drama, and every gig was about playing rock and roll."[19] While booking another leg of the tour, Slash was informed by Geffen that Rose was ready to begin work on the new Guns N' Roses album and that he was to return to Los Angeles.[19] Geffen pulled financial support for the band's tour with Slash's Snakepit disbanding soon after.[19]
[edit]Slash's Blues Ball and reformation (1996–1999)
Main article: Slash's Blues Ball

Slash departed Guns N' Roses in 1996,[11][21] due to musical differences between himself and singer Axl Rose.[11][22] Following his departure, Slash toured Japan for two weeks with Chic,[23] and worked on the soundtrack to the film Curdled[24] before touring in a cover band that eventually became Slash's Blues Ball.[5][11][25] Aside from Slash, the band consisted of Teddy Andreadis, guitarist Bobby Schneck, bassist Johnny Griparic, saxophonist Dave McClarem and drummer Alvino Bennett.[11][25] The band toured on and off until 1998,[11] including a headline slot at a jazz festival in Budapest,[25] covering various artists and bands such as B.B. King, Steppenwolf, Otis Redding, as well as Guns N' Roses and Slash's Snakepit material.[11][25]
Following a tour in 1997,[26] Slash approached Griparic about forming a new lineup of Slash's Snakepit[25] They began looking for a singer,[26] receiving over 300 audition tapes[25] from mostly unknown singers.[26] Jon Stevens of Noiseworks, who had been recording with Slash, was explored as a potential singer in early 1998.[27] However, he returned to Australia to continue his solo career.[27] They eventually added singer Rod Jackson to the group after Griparic played a tape of him for Slash.[28] Completing the lineup were guitarist Ryan Roxie, formerly of Alice Cooper, and drummer Matt Laug, also from Alice Cooper and Venice.[4][5][11][29] They began rehearsing at Mate's before rehearsing and recording in Slash's new home studio in Beverly Hills.[27][29]
[edit]Ain't Life Grand and second breakup (1999–2002)

Mean Bone

A sample of "Mean Bone" from Ain't Life Grand. The band's first single from Ain't Life Grand was criticised due to the female rap at the beginning of the song.[30]
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The band began recording material with producer Jack Douglas[4][31] at Slash's home studio as well as Ocean Way Studios.[32] The recording featured contributions by Teddy Andreadis, Jimmy Zavala and Lee Thornburg, amongst others.[32][33] Though a release date was set for February 22, 2000,[34] Slash left Geffen,[29] who had folded into Interscope Records,[35] due to how the label dealt with him and the album.[35] Following the completion of the album, Roxie departed the band[4] with former Big Bang Babies, Warrant and Ratt guitarist Keri Kelli joining in his place.[5][11]
Ain't Life Grand was released on October 20, 2000[4][36] through Koch Records[36][37] with "Mean Bone" released as the first single.[38] The album did not sell as well as its predecessor,[4] and critical reception to it was mixed. Entertainment Weekly reviewer Tony Scherman stated that "Slash's playing is as flashily incendiary as ever, but the songs and arrangements recycle hard-rock cliches worthier of Ratt than of a bona fide guitar god."[39] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone noted that "there's nothing here as inspiring as the debut's Zen pinball meditation "Be the Ball" and "that great guitarists need great bands, and the Snakepit dudes are barely functional backup peons."[40] Steve Huey of Allmusic noted that "the new Snakepit does kick up a lot of noise as the album rushes by, and the strong chemistry between the members is immediately obvious." However, he stated that songwriting was the main problem, and that "it never rises above the level of solid, and too many tracks are by-the-numbers hard rock at best (and pedestrian at worst)."[30] The band were dropped by Koch two months following the album's release.[41]
Prior to the album's release, Slash's Snakepit supported AC/DC on their Stiff Upper Lip tour from August to September,[36][37] followed by their own headlining tour of theatres.[41] They played only the first two shows on the winter leg of AC/DC's tour.[38] After falling ill and checking into a hospital in Pittsburgh,[42][43] Slash was ordered by his doctor to stay at home to recuperate, reportedly from pneumonia.[38] Due to this, Slash's Snakepit pulling out of supporting AC/DC in March 2001.[38] Slash later revealed in his self-titled biography that he had actually suffered cardiac myopathy, caused by years of alcohol and drug abuse, with his heart swelling to the point of rupture.[42] After being fitted with a defibrillator and undergoing physical therapy, Slash returned to the group to continue touring.[42][43] They later rescheduled their US tour, performing shows from June 16 – July 6,[43][44][45] co-headlining three shows with Billy Idol.[43][46] Following the tour, Slash disbanded Slash's Snakepit in an announcement made in early 2002.[47]
[edit]Post–breakup activities (2002–present)
Following the breakup of Slash's Snakepit, Slash announced he was to begin working on a solo album[47] before working with The Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman and an unnamed bassist on a new project:[48] He later formed the hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver with his former Guns N' Roses band mates Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, former Wasted Youth guitarist Dave Kushner, and then-former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland.[49] They released their debut album Contraband, in 2004,[49] followed by Libertad in 2007,[49] before they parted ways with Weiland and went on hiatus in 2008.[50] With Velvet Revolver on hiatus, Slash began work on his debut solo album.[51] Slash was released on March 31, 2010, and featured a number of guests such as Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother, M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold, Kid Rock, Ozzy Osbourne, Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, and Fergie.[52] His band for the tour in support of the album consisted of Kennedy, bassist Todd Kerns, and drummer Brent Fitz. It also included guitarist Bobby Schneck, formerly of Slash's Blues Ball.[53]
[edit]Musical style

Slash's Snakepit's music was often described as hard rock[4][30][39] and blues rock[4][16][30] with elements of southern rock.[16][20] The band were also often described as Slash's solo or side project[16][17][54] though Slash maintained that they were a band, stating "everybody wrote, everybody had equal input even though I had my name on it."[55] Rolling Stone reviewer J.D. Considine noted the differences between Guns N' Roses and Slash's Snakepit on their first album, It's Five O'Clock Somewhere stating that "Guns [N]' Roses typically treat the melody as the most important part of the song, most of what slithers out of the Snakepit emphasizes the playing."[16] He noted that singer Eric Dover "conveys the raw-throated intensity of a hard-rock frontman" and "he avoids the genre's most obvious excesses."[16] The riff to "Good to Be Alive" drew a comparison to Chuck Berry[16] while the musicianship on the album was praised.[16] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic stated that "there's little argument that Slash is a great guitarist" who is "capable of making rock and blues clichés sound fresh".[17] Reviewing Ain't Life Grand for Allmusic, Steve Huey described second singer Rod Jackson as "a combination of '80s pop-metal bluster and Faces-era Rod Stewart" with a "touch of Aerosmith", a description that he felt also fitted the band as a whole.[30] He noted, though, that Slash's guitar playing was "tame" and stated that the main problem of the album was the songwriting, though it was "still a passable, workmanlike record that will definitely appeal to fans of grimy, old-school hard rock."[30] Malcolm Dome of Classic Rock stated that "from the moment that "Been There Lately" opens, there's a vibe here that was missing before" and that Ain't Life Grand showed "purpose, direction and individuality.

AC DC

HISTORY

AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. The band is commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal,[1][2] though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll".[3] To date they are one of the highest grossing bands of all time. AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, in 1975. Membership remained stable until bassist Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams in 1978 for the album Powerage. Within months of recording the album Highway to Hell, lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on 19 February 1980, after a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The group briefly considered disbanding, but Scott's parents urged them to continue and hire a new vocalist. Ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was auditioned and selected to replace Scott. Later that year, the band released their highest selling album, and ultimately the highest-selling album by any band, Back in Black.
The band's next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, was their first album to reach number one in the United States. AC/DC declined in popularity soon after drummer Phil Rudd was fired in 1983 and was replaced by future Dio drummer Simon Wright, though the band resurged in the early 1990s with the release of The Razors Edge. Phil Rudd returned in 1994 (after Chris Slade, who was with the band from 1990–1994, was asked to leave in favour of him) and contributed to the band's 1995 album Ballbreaker. Stiff Upper Lip was released in 2000 and was well received by critics. Since then, the band has stayed the same with the 1980–1983 lineup. The band's next album, Black Ice, was released on 20 October 2008. It was their biggest hit on the charts since For Those About to Rock, reaching #1 on all the charts eventually.[4] AC/DC's newest album, Iron Man 2, soundtrack to the film, was released on 19 April 2010.
As of 2010, AC/DC have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide,[5] as of the releases of their latest albums, Black Ice and the Iron Man 2 soundtrack, including 71 million albums in the United States.[6] Back in Black has sold an estimated 49 million units worldwide, making it the highest-selling album by any band and the second-highest-selling album in history, behind Thriller by Michael Jackson.[7][8] The album has sold 22 million in the US alone, where it is the fifth-highest-selling album.[9] AC/DC ranked fourth on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock"[10][11] and were named the seventh "Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time" by MTV.[12] In 2004, AC/DC were ranked number 72 in the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time
"Background and Name"

Brothers Malcolm, Angus, and George Young were born in Glasgow, Scotland, and moved to Sydney with most of their family in 1963. George was the first to learn to play the guitar. He became a member of the Easybeats, one of Australia's most successful bands of the 1960s. In 1966, they became the first local rock act to have an international hit, with the song "Friday on My Mind".[14] Malcolm followed in George's footsteps by playing with a Newcastle, New South Wales, band called the Velvet Underground (not to be confused with the New York–based Velvet Underground).[15]


The band's logo was designed in 1977 by Gerard Huerta. It first appeared on the international version of Let There Be Rock
Malcolm and Angus Young developed the idea for the band's name after their older sister, Margaret Young, saw the initials "AC/DC" on a sewing machine.[16] "AC/DC" is an abbreviation meaning "alternating current/direct current" electricity. The brothers felt that this name symbolised the band's raw energy, power-driven performances, and a love for their music.[16][17][18] "AC/DC" is pronounced one letter at a time, though the band are popularly known as "Acca Dacca" in Australia.[19][20]
[edit]Early years (the Dave Evans era, 1973–1974)
In November 1973 Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC/DC and recruited bassist Larry Van Kriedt, vocalist Dave Evans, and Colin Burgess, ex-Masters Apprentices drummer.[21] Pushing hard for the bands success were Australia’s legendary roady Ray Arnold and his partner Alan Kissack. The two men convinced Chequers entertainment manager Gene Pierson to let the band play at the popular Sydney nightclub on New Year's Eve, 1973.[22] The band was so loud however that management complained. Pierson however took an interest, and booked them into the Bondi Lifesaver and other venues where they further developed their stage show. The early line-up of the band changed often; Colin Burgess was the first member fired, and several bassists and drummers passed through the band during the next year.
By this time, Angus Young had adopted his characteristic school-uniform stage outfit. The idea was his sister Margaret's. Angus had tried other costumes, such as Spider-Man, Zorro, a gorilla, and a parody of Superman, named Super-Ang.[15] In fact in its early days, most members of the band dressed in some form of glam or satin outfit but this approach was abandoned when it was discovered Melbourne band Skyhooks had already adopted this approach to their stage presentation.
The Young brothers decided that Evans was not a suitable frontman for the group, because they felt he was more of a glam rocker like Gary Glitter.[23] On stage, Evans was occasionally replaced by the band's first manager, Dennis Laughlin, who was the original lead singer with Sherbet prior to Daryl Braithwaite joining the band. Evans did not get along with Laughlin, which also contributed to the band's ill feeling toward Evans.[23]
It was Gene Pierson who brokered the arrangement for Bon Scott from Fraternity to join them as lead singer. He was also instrumental in getting personal friend Ted Albert of Albert Productions to listen to AC/DC and arranged with programme manager Rod Muir of Australia’s biggest rock station 2SM to have them on the bill for one of their massive school holiday concerts back at Chequers which helped launch AC/DC's career and led to their being signed to the EMI-distributed Albert Productions label for Australia and New Zealand.
[edit]The Bon Scott era (1974–1980)
[edit]The journey begins (1974–77)
In September 1974 Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott, an experienced vocalist and friend of George Young, replaced Dave Evans. Like the Young brothers, Scott had been born in Scotland before emigrating to Australia in his childhood. The band had recorded only one single with Evans, "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl" / "Rockin' in the Parlour"; eventually, the song was re-recorded with Bon Scott as "Can I Sit Next to You Girl" (Track 7 on the Australian album T.N.T., and Track 6 on the international release of High Voltage).

"It's a Long Way to the Top" (1975)

The second single of High Voltage demonstrates a combination of bagpipes with more traditional rock instruments while the lyrics discuss the perils of being in a rock band.
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By January 1975, the Australia-only album High Voltage had been recorded. It took only ten days[24] and was based on instrumental songs written by the Young brothers, with lyrics added by Scott. Within a few months, the band's line-up had stabilised, featuring Scott, the Young brothers, bassist Mark Evans and drummer Phil Rudd. Later that year they released the single "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)", which became their perennial rock anthem.[25] It was included on their second album, T.N.T., which was also released only in Australia and New Zealand. The album featured another classic song, "High Voltage".
Between 1974 and 1977, aided by regular appearances on Molly Meldrum's Countdown, the ABC’s nationally broadcast pop-music television show, AC/DC became one of the most popular and successful acts in Australia. Their performance on 3 April 1977 was their last live TV appearance for more than 20 years.[24]
[edit]International success (1976–80)


Former vocalist Bon Scott (centre) pictured with guitarist Angus Young (left) and bassist Cliff Williams (back), performing at the Ulster Hall in August 1979
In 1976, the band signed an international deal with Atlantic Records and toured extensively throughout Europe including their first UK tour with 'Sounds' Magazine called The 'Lock up your Daughters Summer Tour'. They gained invaluable experience of the stadium circuit, supporting leading hard rock acts such as Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Kiss, Styx and Blue Öyster Cult, and co-headlined with Cheap Trick.[24]
The first AC/DC album to gain worldwide distribution was a 1976 compilation of tracks taken from the High Voltage and T.N.T. LPs. Also titled High Voltage, and released on the Atlantic Records label, the album, which has to date sold three million copies worldwide,[26] gained the band a following among the then-substantial British punk audience.[27] The track selection was heavily weighted toward the more recent T.N.T., and included only two songs from their first LP. The band's next album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, was released in the same year in both Australian and international versions, like its predecessor. Track listings varied worldwide, and the international version of the album also featured "Rocker" from T.N.T. The original Australian version included "Jailbreak" (now more readily available on the 1984 compilation EP '74 Jailbreak or as a live version on the 1992 Live album). Dirty Deeds was not released in the US until 1981, by which time the band were at the peak of their popularity.
Following the 1977 recording Let There Be Rock, bassist Mark Evans was sacked because of personal differences with Angus Young. He was replaced by Cliff Williams, who also provided backing vocals alongside Malcolm Young. Neither of the Young brothers has elaborated on the departure of Evans, though Richard Griffiths, the CEO of Epic Records and a booking agent for AC/DC in the mid-1970s, later commented, "You knew Mark wasn't going to last, he was just too much of a nice guy."[15]


Bronze statue of Bon Scott, unveiled in Fremantle, Western Australia, in October 2008
AC/DC were a formative influence on New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands who emerged in the late 1970s, such as Saxon and Iron Maiden, in part as a reaction to the decline of traditional early 1970s heavy metal bands. In 2007, critics noted that AC/DC, along with Thin Lizzy, UFO, Scorpions and Judas Priest, were among "the second generation of rising stars ready to step into the breach as the old guard waned."[28]
AC/DC's first American exposure was through the Michigan radio station AM 600 WTAC in 1977. The station's manager, Peter C. Cavanaugh, booked the band to play at Flint's Capitol Theater. The supporting act was MC5, who had just briefly reunited and agreed to play at the event. The band opened with their popular song "Live Wire" and closed with "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)".[29]
AC/DC came to be identified with the punk rock movement by the British press. Their reputation, however, managed to survive the punk upheavals of the late 1970s, and they maintained a cult following in the UK throughout this time.[3] Angus Young gained notoriety for mooning the audience during live performances.
The 1978 release of Powerage marked the debut of bassist Cliff Williams, and with its harder riffs, followed the blueprint set by Let There Be Rock.[30] Only one single was released for Powerage, "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" and gave AC/DC the highest mark at the time, reaching #24. Eddie Van Halen notes this to be his favorite AC/DC record, along with Highway To Hell.[31] An appearance at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow during the Powerage tour was recorded and released as If You Want Blood You've Got It, featuring such songs as "Whole Lotta Rosie", "Problem Child", and "Let There Be Rock", as well as lesser-known album tracks like "Riff Raff". The album was the last produced by Harry Vanda and George Young with Bon Scott on vocals and is claimed to be AC/DC's most under-rated album.[32]
The major breakthrough in the band's career came in their collaboration with producer "Mutt" Lange on a sixth album Highway to Hell, released in 1979. It became the first AC/DC LP to break into the US top 100, eventually reaching #17,[24] and it propelled AC/DC into the top ranks of hard rock acts.[3] Highway to Hell had lyrics that shifted away from flippant and comical toward more central rock themes, putting increased emphasis on backing vocals but still featured AC/DC's signature sound: loud, simple, pounding riffs and grooving backbeats.[33] The final track, "Night Prowler", has two breaths in quick succession at the start of the song, intended to create a tone of fear and loathing.[3]
[edit]Scott's death (1980)
As 1980 began, the band began work on a new album that would eventually become Back in Black, but Bon Scott would not live to see the project being finished. On 19 February 1980, Scott passed out in the car on the way back to friend Alistair Kinnear's house after a night of heavy drinking at the Music Machine club in London. Upon arrival at his home, Kinnear was unable to move Scott from the car into his home for the night, so he left him in the car overnight to sleep off the effects of the alcohol. Unable to wake Scott late the next morning, Kinnear rushed him to King's College Hospital in Camberwell, where Scott was pronounced dead on arrival. Pulmonary aspiration of vomit was the cause of Scott's death,[34] and the official cause was listed as "acute alcohol poisoning" and "death by misadventure".[35] Scott's family buried him in Fremantle, Western Australia, the area they emigrated to when he was a boy.[36]
Inconsistencies in the official accounts of Scott's death have been cited in conspiracy theories, which suggest that Scott died of a heroin overdose, or was killed by exhaust fumes redirected into the car, or that Kinnear did not exist.[35] Additionally, Scott was asthmatic,[37] and the temperature was below freezing on the morning of his death.
[edit]The Brian Johnson era (1980–present)
[edit]The rebirth (1980–83)
Following Scott's death, the band briefly considered quitting; they eventually concluded, however, that Scott would have wanted AC/DC to continue, and various candidates were considered for his replacement, including Buzz Shearman, ex-Moxy member, who was not able to join because of voice problems,[38] ex-Back Street Crawler vocalist Terry Slesser and ex-vocalist of Slade, Noddy Holder.[39] The remaining AC/DC members finally decided on ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson.


Cliff Williams in 1981 during the For Those About to Rock Tour
Angus Young later recalled, "I remember the first time I had ever heard Brian's (Johnson) name was from Bon. Bon had mentioned that he had been in England once touring with a band and he had mentioned that Brian had been in a band called Geordie and Bon had said 'Brian Johnson, he was a great rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard.' And that was Bon's big idol, Little Richard. I think when he saw Brian at that time, to Bon it was 'Well he's a guy that knows what rock and roll is all about.' He mentioned that to us in Australia. I suppose when we decided to continue, Brian was the first name that Malcolm and myself came up with, so we said we should see if we can find him.",[40] For the audition, Johnson sang "Whole Lotta Rosie" from Let There Be Rock and Ike & Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits".[18] He was hired a few days after the audition.
With Brian Johnson the band completed the songwriting that they had begun with Bon Scott for the album Back in Black. Recording took place at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas a few months after Scott's death. Back in Black, produced by Mutt Lange and recorded by Tony Platt, became their biggest-selling album and a hard-rock landmark; hits include "Hells Bells", "You Shook Me All Night Long", and the title track. The album was certified platinum three months after its release, and by 2007 it had sold more than 22 million copies in the United States and over 45 million world wide, making it the fourth-highest-selling album ever in the US and the second highest selling in the world. (second to Michael Jacksons "Thriller")[9] The album reached #1 in the UK and #4 in the US, where it spent 131 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart.[24]
The follow-up album, 1981's For Those About to Rock We Salute You, also sold well and was positively received by critics. The album featured two of the band's most popular singles: "Let's Get It Up"[41] and the title track, "For Those About to Rock", which reached #13 and #15 in the UK, respectively. The band split with Lange for their self-produced 1983 album, Flick of the Switch, in an effort to recover the rawness and simplicity of their early albums.[42]
[edit]Departure of Rudd and commercial decline (1983–87)

"Back in Black" (1980)

"Back in Black"'s riff is one of the most recognised in hard rock history.[43] The song ranked #73 on Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and reached #37 in the US.
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Amid rumours of alcoholism and drug-induced paranoia, drummer Phil Rudd's friendship with Malcolm Young deteriorated and, after a long period of unfriendliness, the men's dislike for each other grew so strong that they fought. Rudd was fired two hours after the fight.[18] Session drummer B.J. Wilson was drafted in to help complete the recordings, but his drum parts were eventually not used.[44] Although Rudd had finished the drum tracks for their next album, he was replaced by Simon Wright in the summer of 1983 after the band held an anonymous audition.
Later in the year, AC/DC released the self-produced album Flick of the Switch, which was less successful than their previous albums, and was considered underdeveloped and unmemorable.[42] One critic stated that the band "had made the same album nine times".[45] AC/DC was voted the eighth-biggest disappointment of the year in the 1984 Kerrang! readers' poll. However, Flick of the Switch eventually reached #4 on the UK charts,[18] and AC/DC had minor success with the singles "Nervous Shakedown" and "Flick of the Switch". Fly on the Wall, produced by the Young brothers in 1985, was also regarded as uninspired and directionless.[46] A music concept video of the same name featured the band at a bar, playing five of the album's ten songs.
In 1986, the group returned to the charts with the made-for-radio "Who Made Who". The album Who Made Who was the soundtrack to Stephen King's film Maximum Overdrive,[32] It brought together older hits, such as "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Ride On", with newer songs such as title track "Who Made Who", and two new instrumentals, "D.T." and "Chase the Ace".
In February 1988, AC/DC were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association's Hall of Fame.[47]
[edit]Back to commercial success (1987–90)
AC/DC's 1988 album, Blow Up Your Video, was recorded at Studio Miraval in Le Val, France, and reunited the band with their original producers, Harry Vanda and George Young. The group recorded nineteen songs, choosing ten for the final release; though the album was later criticised for containing excessive "filler",[48] it was a commercial success. Blow Up Your Video sold more copies than the previous two studio releases combined, reaching #2 on the UK charts—AC/DC's highest position since "Back in Black" in 1980. The album featured the UK top-twenty single "Heatseeker"[41] and popular songs such as "That's the Way I Wanna Rock and Roll". The Blow Up Your Video World Tour began in February 1988, in Perth, Australia. That April, following live appearances across Europe, Malcolm Young announced that he was taking time off from touring, principally to begin recovery from his alcoholism. Another member of the Young family, Stevie Young, temporarily took Malcolm's place.


Phil Rudd performs at the KeyArena in Seattle on August 12, 1996 during the Ballbreaker World Tour
Following the tour, Wright left the group to work on the upcoming Dio album Lock Up the Wolves, and was replaced by session veteran Chris Slade. Johnson was unavailable for several months while finalising his divorce,[18] so the Young brothers wrote all the songs for the next album, a practice they continued for all subsequent releases through Black Ice in 2008.
[edit]Popularity regained (1990–94)
The next album, The Razors Edge, was recorded in Vancouver, Canada, and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser and produced by Bruce Fairbairn, who had previously worked with Aerosmith and Bon Jovi. Released in 1990, it was a major comeback for the band, and included the hits "Thunderstruck" and "Are You Ready", which reached #5 and #16 respectively on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, and "Moneytalks", which peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100.[41] The album went multi-platinum and reached the US top ten. Several shows on the Razors Edge tour were recorded for the 1992 live album, titled Live. Live was produced by Fairbairn, and is considered one of the best live albums of the 1990s.[49] It was during this tour when AC/DC headlined the Monsters of Rock show, which was released on DVD as Live at Donington. A year later, AC/DC recorded "Big Gun" for the soundtrack of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Last Action Hero, and was released as a single, reaching #1 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, the band's first #1 single on that chart.[24]
[edit]Popularity confirmed (1994–2008)
In 1994, Angus and Malcolm invited Rudd to several jam sessions. He was eventually rehired to replace Slade, whose amicable departure arose in part because of the band's strong desire to again work with Rudd. Recorded at the Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles, California by a 1980–83 line-up back together and produced by Rick Rubin, Ballbreaker was released in 1995. The first single from the album was "Hard as a Rock". Two more singles were released from the album: "Hail Caesar" and "Cover You in Oil".
In 1997, a box set named Bonfire was released. It contained four albums; a remastered version of Back in Black; Volts (a disc with alternate takes, outtakes, and stray live cuts) and two live albums, Live from the Atlantic Studios and Let There Be Rock: The Movie. Live from the Atlantic Studios was recorded on 7 December 1977 at the Atlantic Studios in New York. Let There Be Rock: The Movie was a double album recorded in 1979 at the Pavillon de Paris and was the soundtrack of a motion picture, AC/DC: Let There Be Rock. The US version of the box set included a colour booklet, a two-sided poster, a sticker, a temporary tattoo, a keychain bottle opener, and a guitar pick.[50]


Angus Young performs in Cologne, Germany in 2001 during the Stiff Upper Lip Tour
In 2000, the band released Stiff Upper Lip, produced by brother George Young at the Warehouse Studio, again in Vancouver. The album was better received by critics than Ballbreaker but was considered lacking in new ideas.[51][52] The Australian release included a bonus disc with three promotional videos and several live performances recorded in Madrid, Spain in 1996. Stiff Upper Lip reached #1 in five countries, including Argentina and Germany; #2 in three countries, Spain, France and Switzerland; #3 in Australia; #5 in Canada and Portugal; and #7 in Norway, the US and Hungary. The first single, "Stiff Upper Lip", remained at #1 on the US Mainstream Rock charts for four weeks.[24] The other singles released also did very well; "Satellite Blues" and "Safe in New York City" reached #7 and #31 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, respectively.
In 2002, AC/DC signed a long-term, multi-album deal with Sony Music,[53] who went on to release a series of remastered albums as part of their AC/DC remasters series. Each release contained an expanded booklet featuring rare photographs, memorabilia, and notes.[54] In 2003, the entire back-catalogue (except Ballbreaker and Stiff Upper Lip) was remastered and re-released. Ballbreaker was eventually re-released in October 2005; Stiff Upper Lip was later re-released in April 2007.
On 30 July 2003, the band performed with the Rolling Stones and Rush at Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto. The concert, held before an audience of half a million, was intended to help the city overcome the negative publicity stemming from the effects of a 2003 SARS epidemic. The concert holds the record for the largest paid music event in North American history.[55] The band came second in a list of Australia's highest-earning entertainers for 2005,[56] and sixth for 2006,[57] despite having neither toured since 2003 nor released an album since 2000. Verizon Wireless has gained the rights to release AC/DC's full albums and the entire Live at Donington concert to download in 2008.[58]
On 16 October 2007, Columbia Records released a double and triple DVD titled Plug Me In. The set consists of five and seven hours of rare footage, and even a recording of AC/DC at a high school performing "School Days", "T.N.T.", "She's Got Balls", and "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)". As with Family Jewels, disc one contains rare shows of the band with Bon Scott, and disc two is about the Brian Johnson era. The collector's edition contains an extra DVD with 21 more rare performances of both Scott and Johnson and more interviews.[59]
AC/DC made their video game debut on Rock Band 2, with "Let There Be Rock" included as a playable track.[60] The setlist from their Live at Donington live album was released as playable songs for the Rock Band series by means of a Wal-Mart-exclusive retail disc titled AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack.[61]
No Bull: The Directors Cut, a newly edited, comprehensive Blu-Ray and DVD of the band's July 1996 Plaza De Toros de las Ventas concert in Madrid, Spain, was released on 9 September 2008.[62]
[edit]Black Ice (2008–2011)


AC/DC performs at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on November 7, 2008 during their Black Ice World Tour
On 18 August 2008, Columbia Records announced 18 October Australian release, and 20 October worldwide release, of the studio album Black Ice. The 15-track album was the band's first studio release in eight years, was produced by Brendan O'Brien and was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser. Like Stiff Upper Lip, it was recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia. Black Ice was sold in the US exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club and the band's official website.[63]
"Rock 'n' Roll Train", the album's first single, was released to radio on 28 August. On 15 August, AC/DC recorded a video for a song from the new album in London with a special selection of fans getting the chance to be in the video.[64] Black Ice made history debuting at #1 on album charts in 29 countries and also has the distinction of being Columbia Records' biggest debut album (since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data for Billboard in March 1991). Black Ice has been certified Multi Platinum in eight countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the Czech Republic. Additionally Black Ice has achieved Platinum status in twelve countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, UK, Argentina, Singapore and New Zealand) and Gold status in four countries (The Netherlands, Spain, Poland and Brazil). With over 6.5 million copies of Black Ice shipped worldwide, combined with over 5.5 million in catalog sold, AC/DC have surpassed The Beatles as the #1 selling catalog artist in the US for 2008. The 18-month Black Ice World Tour supporting the new album was announced on 11 September and began on 28 October in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.[65] The band played 42 dates in North America, ending in Nashville, Tennessee on 31 January 2009. The Answer was the opening act during the North American portion of the tour.
On 15 September 2008, AC/DC Radio debuted on Sirius Channel 19 and XM channel 53. The channel plays AC/DC music along with interviews with the band members.[66]


Angus Young on June 18, 2010 at the Stade de France (Paris).
With the North American release of Black Ice on 20 October 2008, Columbia Records and Walmart created "Rock Again AC/DC Stores" to promote the album. In October 2008, MTV, Walmart, and Columbia created "AC/DC Rock Band Stores" in New York City, at Times Square, and in Los Angeles. "Black Ice" trucks were also dispatched on the streets of these two cities after the release, playing AC/DC music aloud and making various stops each day to sell merchandise.[67]
In late September 2009, the band rescheduled six shows when Brian Johnson underwent an operation for ulcers.[68] On 29 September, the band announced a collection of studio and live rarities, Backtracks, which was released on 10 November 2009 as a 3-CD/2-DVD/1-LP box-set.
On 4 November AC/DC were announced as the Business Review Weekly top Australian earner (entertainment) for 2009 with earnings of $105 million. This displaced The Wiggles from the number one spot for the first time in four years.[69]
On 26 January 2010, AC/DC announced on their official site the release of their new album Iron Man 2, the soundtrack for the film Iron Man 2.[70]
On 25 January 2010, it was announced that the band were to headline Download Festival at Donington Park in June 2010.[71] AC/DC effectively headlined Download Festival on 11 June 2010.
After criss-crossing the globe for over 20 months and playing to over five million people, the Black Ice World Tour came to a close in Bilbao, Spain on 28 June 2010. The Black Ice World Tour took AC/DC to 108 cities in over 28 countries. It is rumored that they now plan to release a live DVD of one of their December 2–4–6, 2009 concerts at Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires, Argentina, along with a new live album containing recordings from the Black Ice World Tour.[72] It was revealed that the Black Ice tour DVD/CD set will be released on May 10, 2011 [73] with the first two singles from the new live album being "Shoot to Thrill" and "War Machine," recorded at Buenos Aires in Argentina and released as an exclusive single for Record Store Day.[74] As of March 7, 2011, the live album is tentatively titled Live at River Plate.[75]
It was also revealed that AC/DC will re-release the concert movie with Bon Scott, Let There Be Rock: The Movie on June 7, 2011 in a Blu-Ray DVD double pack included in a box set that also includes a collector's tin, concert photos, a soviener guitar pick and a 32 page booklet. [76]
[edit]Recognition



The street sign for ACDC Lane, Melbourne
AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 10 March 2003.[77] During the ceremony the band performed "Highway to Hell" and "You Shook Me All Night Long", with guest vocals provided by host Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. He described the band's power chords as "the thunder from down under that gives you the second-most-powerful surge that can flow through your body."[78] During the acceptance speech, Brian Johnson quoted their 1977 song "Let There Be Rock".[79]
On 22 March 2000, the municipality of Leganés (near Madrid) named a street in honour of the band as "Calle de AC/DC" (literally "AC/DC Street"). Malcolm and Angus assisted in the inauguration with many fans. Later that day, the plaque with the name of the group was stolen, perhaps by an enthusiast or collector. The plaque was replaced two hours later, and stolen once again a mere three days after the fact. The plaque had since been stolen numerous times, forcing the municipality of Leganés to begin selling replicas of the official street plaque.
In May 2003, Malcolm Young accepted a Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Service to Australian Music at the 2003 Music Winners Awards, during which he paid special tribute to Bon Scott.[80]
On 1 October 2004, a central Melbourne thoroughfare, Corporation Lane, was renamed ACDC Lane in honour of the band. However, the City of Melbourne forbade the use of the slash character in street names, so the four letters were combined.[81] The lane is near Swanston Street where, on the back of a truck, the band recorded their video for the 1975 hit "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)".[25]
Since Nielsen SoundScan began to track music sales in 1991, AC/DC have sold over 26.4 million albums, making their sales figures third only to The Beatles and Pink Floyd,[82] outselling both The Rolling Stones and The Who. Over the last five years, as CD sales have declined in general, AC/DC albums have sold just as well or better. They sold over 1.3 million CDs in the US during 2007 despite not having released a new album since 2001 at that point.[83]
In 2009 the Recording Industry Association of America upgraded the group's US sales figures from 69 million to 71 million, making AC/DC the fifth-best-selling band in US history and the ninth-best-selling artist, selling more albums than Madonna, Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson.[6] The RIAA also certified Back in Black as double Diamond (20 million) in US sales, and by 2007 the album had sold 22 million copies, which moved it into fifth place.[

JET

Jet are an Australian rock band formed in 2001 in Melbourne, Australia. The group is composed of lead guitarist Cameron Muncey, bassist Mark Wilson, and brothers Nic and Chris Cester on vocals/rhythm guitar and drums respectively.The group has sold 6,5 million records worldwide; with their debut album Get Born, released in 2003, accounting for about 3.5 million[4] of that figure. The band's most recent album, Shaka Rock, was released on 19 August 2009.
Formation and Dirty Sweet (2001-2002)
Brothers Nic Cester and Chris Cester grew up in Dingley Village, a suburb just out of Melbourne, Victoria, listening to their father's classic rock records from the 1960s and 1970s such as The Who, AC/DC, The Easybeats, Faces, The Loved Ones and particularly The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and John Lennon.
However, according to Nic, it was Australian band You Am I who had the biggest influence on Jet's developing musical tastes:
"Hi Fi Way was the most important album of my generation ... I think everyone our age, who played guitar, played You Am I songs for the first time in front of their school assembly ... That was the record that made you realise you could be in an Australian band, you didn't have to be a grunge band and you didn't have to be influenced by American bands. It changed everything.
The brothers decided to form a band with Cameron Muncey, Nic's friend from school and with whom he had previously been in a band, and with bassist Doug Armstrong whom Nic and Chris met whilst working together at their Dad's spice factory.
During 2001 an old high school friend of Chris' joined the band on keyboard, and it was at this time that the band took their current name.[citation needed] They wanted a short name so when it shows up on festival advertisements, it's large and bold in print. "Radio Song", from their album Get Born, was written about the troubles that the band had getting recognition at this time.[citation needed] Jet got their big break when seminal Melbourne Punk rock band The Specimens took Jet under their wing and put them on as an opening act at The Duke of Windsor. This is where Dave Powell first saw the band perform and went on to sign them to his management firm Majorbox.
The new band met Mark Wilson one night in 2002 at a concert and, despite already having a bass player, asked him to play with them. Wilson was then the bassist in a band called The CA$inos, so he initially declined. However, a few days later he called the band and said he would like to join them instead.
In 2002 the band, consisting of its current members,[who?] released the Dirty Sweet EP, which drew its name from the T.Rex song "Bang a Gong (Get It On)". While the band only pressed 1,000 copies, there was such a demand that they pressed 1,000 more.The timing of this record coincided with the breakthrough of The Vines, meaning that international interest in Australian rock bands was high.[original research?][citation needed] NME obtained a copy of the single from Dirty Sweet, "Take It or Leave It", and praised it.Elektra Records offered the band a contract[when?] and re-released Dirty Sweet in 2003.
Get Born (2003-2004)

Jet entered the Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles with Dave Sardy to produce their debut album Get Born. Sardy had previously produced records for Marilyn Manson and The Dandy Warhols. They also enlisted the services of keyboard maestro Billy Preston for two of the songs. The album derived its name from the blockbuster action movie, The Bourne Identity, starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. Halfway through recording, the band received a call from The Rolling Stones offering them a support slot on the Australian leg of their 2003 tour.[citation needed] Jet played more than 200 shows in 2003.
Their singles "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" and "Rollover DJ" were voted number one and number nineteen respectively on the 2003 Triple J Hottest 100. "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" appeared on the soundtracks for the video games Madden NFL 2004, Guitar Hero: On Tour and Rock Band, on Strictly Come Dancing and the 2006 animated film Flushed Away, and the 2008 film What Happens in Vegas. It was also part of two major worldwide advertising campaigns for Apple's iPod and Vodafone. "Rollover DJ features on the soundtrack to PlayStation 2 game Gran Turismo 4. Get Born also includes the song "Timothy", dedicated to deceased brother of vocalist/guitarist Cameron Muncey, who died before Cameron was born. Due to the sensitive nature of the song, the band rarely plays "Timothy" live.
In early 2004, Jet teamed up with The Vines and The Living End on "the Aussie invasion" tour of US cities. A new Jet song not included on Get Born, called "Hold On", was featured on the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack that year. TV/film producer J. J. Abrams - whose credits include Lost and Felicity - contacted Jet to record a song for the Season 4 premiere to his show Alias. "Cold Hard Bitch" from Get Born was used, and became the soundtrack to a frenetic scene of two CIA agents sprinting down a Hong Kong street, giving Jet further US exposure.
Later the same year, Jet received nominations for the annual Radio Music Awards, including 'Artist of the Year: Rock Radio', 'Artist of the Year: Rock Alternative Radio', and 'Song of the Year: Rock Radio' (for "Cold Hard Bitch"). Still in the U.S. Jet received the 32nd Annual American Music Awards nomination as 'Favorite Artist - Alternative Music', as well as three nominations for the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, held in Miami in August. "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" was nominationed for Best Rock Video, Best New Artist and Best Editing in a video. Jet performed "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" live at the ceremony and picked up the award for Best Rock Video, dedicating the award to Chris and Nic's late father John Cester. Following their success in Miami, back home in Australia the band was nominated in seven categories at the 2004 ARIA (Australian Record Industry Association) Music Awards, receiving nominations in a stunning seven categories; 'Album of the Year', 'Single of the Year' (for "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"), 'Best Group', 'Best Rock Album', 'Breakthrough Artist - Album', 'Breakthrough Artist - Single' (for "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"), and 'Highest Selling Album'. At the awards ceremony on the 17 October 2004, Jet dominated the ceremony receiving six awards out of the seven nominations. Nic Cester also performed as part of supergroup The Wrights, featuring members of other Australian rock bands Spiderbait (Kram, drums), The Living End (Chris Cheney, guitar), Dallas Crane (Pat Bourke, bass) and You Am I/The Pictures (Davey Lane, guitar).
Shine On (2005-2007)

The debut single from the band's second album Shine On, titled "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is", was released to radio on 7 August 2006. Shine On was released on 30 September 2006 (2 October in the UK, 3 October in the US) with a final track listing of 15 songs. It debuted at #3 on the Australian charts. Critical reaction to the album was mixed; British music magazine NME called the record "another joyfully old-fashioned rock'n'roll album immersed in the classics,"[7] while the American review site Pitchfork Media posted a totally anomalous review containing only a video clip of a chimpanzee urinating in its own mouth.[8] The song also appeared on NME's compilation CD, NME: The Essential Bands - Festival Edition.
Jet played at the MTV Europe Awards in Copenhagen.[when?] It was their first live performance since Nic Cester's laryngitis halted their World Tour.[citation needed] In November 2006 Jet flew back to Australia to perform at the Make Poverty History Concert in Melbourne at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl; upon their return they also held a secret show on a barge floating on the Yarra River.[citation needed] The second singles from the album, "Bring It on Back" (in the UK) and "Rip It Up" (in Australia) were released in November 2006. The album also spawned an EP, the Shine On EP released December 2006.
The title track, "Shine On", was released on various dates in March 2007 around the world as the third single (second single in some countries). The song is a tribute to Nic and Chris Cester's father, who died from cancer in 2004.[9] It was written by Nic Cester from the perspective of his father encouraging those who survive him to "shine on" Many songs on the album ("Come On Come On", "Bring It on Back", "Stand Up", "Holiday", "All You Have to Do") are primarily about overcoming adversity and challenge.
Jet co-headlined a series of shows during the 2007 Big Day Out festival in Australia and New Zealand, with acts Tool, Muse, The Killers, and My Chemical Romance.[10] The band played their Rip It Up Oz tour in late May and June 2007, which was supported by Channel V.[citation needed] Also in 2007, they released a new song for the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack titled "Falling Star".[citation needed] In addition, their song "Rip It Up" appeared on the TMNT soundtrack.It also became the official theme for the wrestling show WWE Summerslam.In August, the band was again asked to support The Rolling Stones on the European leg of their World Tour. Jet played multiple support slots for the Stones in both Spain and London's O2 Arena.[citation needed]
In October 2007, the band returned to Australia to perform at the AFL Grand Final and to finish the rest of their world tour. They announced on their website that they would begin production on their third studio album, due for a 2008 release. However in November, the band announced they would take "some time off". They stated that after touring for Shine On they needed some "down time".On 24 October Chris and Mark produced a song, under the name "The Vice Lords" for the Japanese former duo Superfly titled
Shaka Rock (2008-present)
In a new video on their website, the band talks about writing and recording songs at Atlantic Sound Studios in New York City. Chris Cester joked: "We've got to stop writing; we got fucking too many songs." They have also collaborated with Iggy Pop to release a cover of the Johnny O'Keefe single "Wild One". Jet returned to Australia to play a secret show in Melbourne on 17 December to debut new material, including new songs titled "Goodbye Hollywood", "Walk", "Start The Show", "Black Hearts", "She's a Genius", "Seventeen", and "Beat On Repeat". Guitarist Cameron Muncey has particularly expressed that he "really, really loves the song 'Seventeen'." Says Cameron of the song, "I think is sort of a step forward for us songwriting-wise. It's sorta got everything wrapped into one, a storyline, and sad to say melancholy. It's rock and roll, it's rocking, it's got all these other albums to it, you know, so I find it really interesting.
Jet played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Sydney Cricket Ground on 14 March 2009 for Sound Relief, which was a multi-venue rock music concert in support of relief for the Victorian Bushfire Crisis.The event was held simultaneously with a concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground.All the proceeds from the Melbourne Concert went to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire relief.Artists who appeared with Jet in Melbourne were, Augie March, Bliss n Eso with Paris Wells, Gabriella Cilmi, Hunters & Collectors, Jack Johnson, Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson with Troy Cassar-Daley, Kings of Leon, Liam Finn, Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly, Split Enz and Wolfmother.Half the proceeds from the Sydney concert went to the Victorian Bushfire relief and the other half for Queensland Flood relief.Appearing with Jet at the Sydney concert were Coldplay (performing an acoustic set), Eskimo Joe, Hoodoo Gurus, Icehouse, Josh Pyke, Little Birdy, The Presets, Wolfmother, You Am I and additional artists.Jet and Wolfmother were the only bands to perform at both venues.
Jet's song, "She's a Genius" from this album, appeared on a NCIS episode; Season 7 Episode 2 - "Reunion". In April 2009, a song titled "K.I.A (Killed in Action)" was made available to listen to on the bands official website."Killed in Action" was the 5th most added song to radio in Australia."She's a Genius" was the first single released from the album on 19 June 2009. The new album is titled Shaka Rock and was released in Australia on 21 August 2009:it has been certified gold in Australia in 2009.
"Black Hearts (On Fire)" was released as the second single from the album on 2 November 2009 with a music video filmed for the single. On 8 November 2009 She's a Genius was certified Gold by the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) for selling more than 35,000 shipments.
Jet is featured on the album Shock Value II by American record producer Timbaland. The title of the song has been called "Timothy (Where Have You Been)".[citation needed]
In December 2009, Jet was the support act for punk rock trio Green Day on the Australian leg of their 21st Century Breakdown World Tour.
"Seventeen" was released as the third single from Shaka Rock in April 2010, climbing up to #31 on the Australian Singles Chart in its 5th week on the chart. In October 2010 it was certified Gold in Australia with shipments of over 35 000 copies.
During April 2010, the band also appeared on Hey Hey It's Saturday's first episode since the reunion series, for a broadcasted performance of "She's a Genius" and "Seventeen".
Throughout September to November 2010, Jet extensively toured Australia as the supporting act for Powderfinger's Sunsets farewell tour.

The Darkness

==History==
The Darkness were directed by manager Sue Whitehouse who managed them since Justin Hawkins' origins as a creator of music jingles and their original band days as Empire. The Darkness were renowned for their live show, and such was the popularity of the band, they had a Carling Homecoming gig booked for the London Astoria before they had even signed a record deal.

The band already had music industry interest from their days as Empire through connections with Sue Whitehouse who was based at Savage & Best in Camden. Joe Taylor and Paul Scaife at The Tip Sheet first heard about the band through a post on The Tip Sheet message board, and featured Love Is Only A Feeling in January 2002. They started Record of the Day, and featured the song again around the time of SXSW in March 2003. They wanted to feature Friday Night too but they were told the band was saving it for an album.
According to A&R Nick Raphael in an interview with HitQuarters, there was no initial clamour to sign the band, "There couldn’t have been less of a buzz, and only two record labels showed any interest in them." He believes the reason for lack of interest was that "The business as a whole thought they were uncool. In fact, people were saying that they were a joke and that they weren’t real."[5] As part of Sony Music UK, Raphael had attempted to sign them but the band instead opted to go with Atlantic Records.

[edit]Permission to Land and commercial success (2003–2005)

Their debut album, Permission to LandAdd caption, went straight up to number two in the UK charts upon its release on 7 July 2003, before going to number one and staying there for four weeks, eventually going on to sell 1.5 million copies in the UK.
justin Hawkins at Finland, Ankkarock.
The Darkness took inspiration for some of their work from the local north Suffolk area, including "Black Shuck" which mentions the nearby village of Blythburgh.
The success of this album led to heavy touring for the band, including European portions of Metallica's Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003. They then went on to headline the Carling Festival in 2004. The band won three BRIT Awards in 2004 in response to the album, Best Group, Best Rock Group and Best Album. They also won two Kerrang! awards in 2004 for Best Live Act and Best British Band. The third single from the album, "I Believe in a Thing Called Love", was a substantial hit in the UK as was their tilt at the Christmas 2003 number 1, "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)", which only just fell short, both singles reaching No.2 in 2003.The band themselves seemed to show signs that they were disillusioned with their constant media appearances, infamously walking off of an episode of the U.S.-nationally-syndicated radio talk show Loveline, on 19 April 2004. Ultimately, the band responded to the criticism of over-saturation by touring the UK's top arenas on their Winter-National Tour. One part of the show included Justin climbing upon a life-sized tiger during "Love on the Rocks with No Ice" and being elevated above the audience whilst playing guitar. The majority of the shows on the tour had sold out.

The Darkness live in Glasgow, February 2006
One Way Ticket to Hell... And Back and decline (2005–2006)
On 23 May 2005 bassist Frankie Poullain left the band via a window during recording of their second album, One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back, apparently due to "musical differences". Frankie has disputed this version of events, claiming he was "frozen out" and forced to leave the band. On 13 June 2005, The Darkness announced that Richie Edwards, formerly Dan's guitar technician, had replaced Frankie as bassist.
In October 2005, a month before the album was to be officially released, Justin Hawkins won an eBay auction for a copy of One Way Ticket to Hell ...and Back for £350 under the username 'turbogunhawk'. He claimed he did this so that he could track down whoever sold the digitally-marked advance copy of the album and try to prevent it from happening again.
"One Way Ticket", the first single from their second album, was released on 14 November 2005, debuting and peaking at number 8 on the UK Singles chart. The album itself was released on 28 November 2005 to mixed reviews. The album was produced by rock producer Roy Thomas Baker, best known for his work with Queen. Early sales figures in the UK showed the album had not sold as well as its predecessor, Permission to Land. The album debuted at number 11, and fell to number 34 in the second week of its release. Although it has since reached platinum status, this contrasts with their debut's five times platinum status.
The second single taken from their second album was "Is It Just Me?", released on 20 February 2006. The single gained a preliminary position of No. 6 all that week, but finally charted at number 8. The album's third single, "Girlfriend", was Released 22 May and charted at number 39.
The band followed up their second album with a tour of the UK and Ireland, consisting of 12 dates in the major cities. The tour opened in Dublin's Point Depot on 4 February and closed in the Nottingham Arena on 20 February. Few of the venues sold out, their appeal seemingly having become more selective. Their world tour, which followed, arrived in Australia and Japan after touring Scandinavia and Continental Europe in March.
[edit]Justin Hawkins' departure (2006)
See also: British Whale and Hot Leg
In August 2006, lead singer Justin Hawkins was admitted to a rehabilitation clinic in concern of his health, which caused the band to cancel several concerts.Around this same time the band confirmed that they were to start working on their third album to be released early 2007. However on 10 October 2006, The Sun newspaper reported that Justin Hawkins was leaving the band after completing his course of rehabilitation from alcohol and cocaine problems.The article, and ensuing rumours, stated that the band would continue without him, possibly with Richie Edwards as the front man. In response to the story being reported by the media, the following message was posted on The Darkness' official forum:
"We're sorry that you had to find this out through the newspapers, but we were hoping until the last minute that this - Justin's exit - wasn't going to happen. We - Dan, Ed and Richie - are still in total shock and can't say at this stage what the future holds. We would like to thank all our fans, partners and family for their continuous support. You will hear from us, once we know what we want to do..."

Using the pseudonym British Whale, Hawkins went on to release a cover version of the Sparks song This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us, reaching No.6 in the UK singles chart. In 2007, he launched a failed attempt to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Other projects (2006–2011)
See also: Stone Gods and Hot Leg
On 24 December 2006, it was reported by Yahoo! News that bass player Richie Edwards would become the group's new frontman, with Toby MacFarlaine to join The Darkness and take over on bass.[12] In blog entries on MySpace, Richie Edwards, Dan Hawkins and Ed Graham said that they had started recording a new album with Toby McFarlaine, and that they had formed a new band together.
On 2 March 2007, The Darkness' official website was changed, showing a photograph of the new, and as yet unnamed band. Links to the members individual Myspace pages were included, confirming the line-up of Richie Edwards, Dan Hawkins, Toby MacFarlaine and Ed Graham. Richie later added a message to the site, categorically confirming that the band would not continue under the name "The Darkness", saying "we are literally days away from announcing our new name".
It was announced on 25 August 2007 that the band had finished recording an album but no release dates or names, of either the band or album, had been decided. Record label and support has yet to be decided.
On 9 November 2007, it was announced on The University of East Anglia's student union website that the new band would be called Stone Gods. This name was confirmed on the official website on 21 November 2007. The line-up was confirmed as Dan Hawkins (lead guitar), Toby MacFarlaine (bass), Ed Graham (drums) and Ritchie Edwards (vocals/guitar).
During a Hot Leg gig at Brighton's Ocean Rooms in May 2009, Justin was joined on stage by Dan, playing "I Believe In A Thing Called Love". During the performance Dan whispered to Justin a humorous "you're an absolute cunt". Justin mentioned this to the crowd after the song, stating "I think he meant it.
As of December 2010, both Hot Leg[14] and The Stone Gods had announced they are on hiatus via Twitter and rumours had once again surfaced that The Darkness may reform. Dan Hawkins had supposedly confirmed these rumors.
Reunion (2011–present)
Wikinews has related news: English hard rock band The Darkness reunites
On 15 March 2011, it was officially announced that The Darkness would reunite.[16] The band also said that they planned to play at the 2011 Download Festival in June, as well as record a new album during April and May.[16] Speaking about the announcement, Justin Hawkins said that "the main thing for us is to make sure that musically we turn the experience into something positive again. We've been remembering why it was so much fun in the first place, just four men making loud music in a room.