Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have announced plans to hit the road in support of their forthcoming album Mojo, their first studio release in eight years. The tour will kick off May 6 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and wrap up on August 27 in Sarasota Springs, New York. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will make stops at nearly 40 arenas across the U.S., along with openers Joe Cocker, Drive-By Truckers, My Morning Jacket and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
Sting has announced that he will launch a world tour this summer with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, with various dates in North America starting with a Vancouver opening on June 2. The tour will feature the singer performing his hits in symphonic arrangements. The shows are slated to include Police songs like "Roxanne" and "Every Breath You Take," as well as solo hits like "Fields of Gold" and "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You."
Following months of turmoil, public arguing and threats of a lineup change, Aerosmith have gotten their act together and are ready to perform again. The rockers, with estranged frontman Steven Tyler, will hit the road this summer for their Cocked, Locked and Ready to Rock European tour. The tour kicks off June 10 in Sweden and wraps up July 3 in Venice, Italy. No North American dates have been announced as of yet. "I just auditioned and I got the gig," Tyler said.
Paul McCartney has announced the first two dates of his Up and Coming tour, which is set to get underway next month. The legendary singer/songwriter will kick things off March 28 in Glendale, Arizona, which will mark his first performance in the state in four years. He will then perform at the Hollywood Bowl on March 30, a venue he hasn't appeared at since 1993. These two shows are the beginning of an "extensive roadtrip," as described by the tour's press release.
Music industry giant EMI has responded to the recent rumors that it may sell off Abbey Road, the legendary Beatles recording studio in London. In an official statement released over the weekend, EMI's parent company, Terra Firma, announced that it will not, in fact, sell the aging space, but revitalize it instead. The statement comes after last week's public outcries from former Beatle Paul McCartney and swirling rumors that Andrew Lloyd Webber may save the studio.
The Allman Brothers will stream their annual New York City residency this March on Moogis.com, a subscription website run by founding member Butch Trucks. Fans who purchase a year-yong subscription through the site will be able to see live and archived webcasts of Allman Brothers Band performances, as well as other content dating back to 2000. This year's residency has been moved to the United Palace Theatre.
Peter Gabriel will not be present when Genesis is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next month. Earlier this week, Hall president Joel Peresman revealed that the ceremony will conflict with Gabriel's upcoming European tour and the singer will therefore not join his former bandmates. Gabriel was a founding member of Genesis, but left to pursue a solo career in 1976. Gabriel had already said that he would not perform with his former bandmates for the Rock Hall.
Former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant has tentatively named his new solo record It's Rude to Say No, according to LedZeppelinNews.com. The new record, which is said to be due out later this year, is being produced by legendary Nashville producer/songwriter Buddy Miller. This is not the first joint venture between the two. Miller toured with Plant and Alison Krauss in support of their Grammy-winning 2007 release Raising Sand.
Bryan Adams has added more dates to his upcoming solo acoustic tour. The Canadian rocker is set to kick off the tour on February 19 in Rapid City, South Dakota. The trek will wrap up in Morristown, Pennsylvania, on April 26. The three-month-long tour will now see the "Cuts Like A Knife" singer hit 20 stops across North America. Adams is touring behind his 2008 release 11, the follow-up to 2005's "Room Service."