Classic Rock April 2019

WELCOME That opening riff is just brilliant. Three big staccato A chord stabs and we’re off to the races… Yep, I’m talking about AC/DC’s inimitable Highway To Hell. Many years ago, we established that AC/DC was probably the single band that could unite the entire Classic Rock office, and despite many comings and goings since, it’s still the truth. And in 2019, Highway To Hell – the album that would sadly also prove to be Bon Scott’s final hurrah – celebrates its fortieth birthday. So this month we take a look at the making and the impact of the record that gave AC/DC their first million-seller, and us so many brilliant songs. Elsewhere, Status Quo’s Francis Rossi sits down for the Classic Rock Interview, while we also look back at…

This month’s contributors ROSS HAL FIN This month, legend of the lens, Ross ‘The Master’ Halfin documented the I Am The Highway concert. It was a star-studded evening with the greats of rock (and a few Hollywood pals) paying tribute to Ross’s long-time friend Chris Cornell. Ross takes us through some of his favourite shots of the evening on p76, then we review the show itself on p108. PAUL ELLIOTT Blimey, Gooner’s been busy this issue – he has written our AC/DC cover story (p28), plus The Classic Rock Interview with Status Quo’s Francis Rossi (p42) and a feature on the original black metal band, Venom (p72). Paul is pictured here with his friend Julian Cundiff, a legend in the sport of angling. Together, they like to ‘carp on’ about…

the DIRT INSIDE THE WORLD OF ROCK Crüe Mövie Finally Arrives Mötley biopic The Dirt hits screens in March. This month The Dirt was compiled by Lee Dorrian, Dave Everley, Rob Hughes, Dave Ling, Sleazegrinder, Henry Yates Mark Weiss/press FOR MORE NEWS: WWW.CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM cat no:#260 COPYRIGHT FUTURE 2019 “It was important we didn’t pull any punches.”Nikki Sixx NIKKI SIXX, MÖTLEY Crüe’s founder and bassist, would like everyone who watches The Dirt, the long-awaited biopic of his band, to know one thing: “Is there anything I feel the need to apologise for?” he says. “Ha! I’m afraid I have nothing to apologise for. You just have to lay it out there – this is what we were like, this is what was happening. There were a lot of reasons for what…

IT’S A WRAP! More rock on celluloid that’s on the way. OZZY AND SHARON – THEIR STORY An as-yet untitled film has been commissioned about the romance between Ozzy Osbourne and his manager. Sharon has someone in mind to portray herself, but favours “a complete unknown” for her eventual husband. “It’s everything before we get married,” Sharon tells Variety. “It’s the madness of my childhood, growing up in the industry with a powerful father [Don Arden] who was somewhat violent, and it’s Ozzy at twenty.” DAVID BOWIE: STARDUST With filming due to commence in June, British actor Johnny Flynn has been cast as the iconic singer, who died three years ago. To be directed by Gabriel Range (Death Of A President, I Am Slave), Stardust co-stars Jena Malone and Marc…

the DIRT RIP Thank you and good night. Paul Whaley January 14, 1946 - January 28, 2019 The Blue Cheer drummer has died at the age of 72. Eric Clapton once referred to the San Franciscan trio as the “the originators of heavy metal.” Whaley, who performed in numerous line-ups of the group and was a part of their 1968 debut Vincebus Eruptum, succumbed to heart failure. Reggie Young December 12, 1936 – January 17, 2019 The session guitarist with a seven-decade career has died of heart failure aged 82. Raised in Missouri, he played on records by artists as varied as Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Paul Simon, Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson and more. Young’s first ever solo album, Forever Young, was released in 2017. Lorna Doom January…

NEWS Despite the fact that Deep Purple undertook a farewell tour for their 2017 album InFinite, guitarist Steve Morse reveals that work on a new recording is under way. “And I know there’s more Purple gigs that they haven’t announced yet – so don’t tell them that I told you so!” quips the guitarist, who is also recording with prog supergroup Flying Colors. Deadland Ritual, the band featuring Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, ex-Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum and Scars On Broadway frontman Franky Perez, have been added to this year’s Download bill. Sontaag (pictured), a “cross-generic space rock grand opera” project featuring Classic Rock’s own Ian Fortnam, release a cover of Hawkwind’s Silver Machine through Cleopatra Records this month. It features cameos from…