News Roundup 2011: October

Rush revealed that they would release their brand new album, Clockwork Angels, in the spring. The album will be their first since 2007, and it will include the songs BU2B and Caravan, which debuted earlier this year.

We spoke to Alex Lifeson a couple of months ago and he told us that the album is likely to be very different to those first two songs.

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Gene Simmons did the unlikely in October by getting married to long term partner Shannon Tweed. Simmons had previously claimed to having 4,600 female conquests, but he and Tweed had been together for more than 20 years when they married. Kiss played at the wedding reception and the happy couple did the most romantic thing imaginable when they released a range of souvenir wedding merchandise such as a $41 set of glass Tweed-Simmons coasters or The Tweed-Simmons Family Sketch Beer Stein for $36.

Folk pioneer Bert Jansch sadly died in early in the month aged 67. The guitarist was a huge influence on a range of artists including Paul Simon, Johnny Marr, Bernard Butler, Jimmy Page, Nick Drake, Graham Coxon, Donovan, Neil Young and Devendra Banhart. Jimmy Page once said of Jansch "At one point, I was absolutely obsessed with Bert Jansch. When I first heard that LP, I couldn't believe it. It was so far ahead of what everyone else was doing. No one in America could touch that."

Dave Grohl reaffirmed his position as coolest rock star on the planet by jumping behind the kit for his support act Cage The Elephant

when their own drummer suffered from a burst appendix. Guitarist Lincoln Parrish said "Dave somehow heard what had happened and called our tour manager. He said, 'Hey, so do you think the guys would go for it?'. Our manager was like 'Um, yeah!!!

Journey were given the Legends Of Live award at the prestigious Billboard Touring Awards. Organisers said "From their days blowing up the Bay Area music scene to their ascent to international headlining and, today, iconic rock status, withstanding personnel changes that would bring down a lesser band, Journey's talent transcends musical trends and draws bigger crowds year after year."

Billy McCarthy and James Stonich of the band Kid Rockers filed a lawsuit against the band Poison claiming that that the songs 'Talk Dirty To Me', 'I Won't Forget You', 'Fallen Angel', and 'Ride The Wind' are based on songs that guitarist CC DeVille would have heard when he auditioned to join their band in 1984. Rather than claiming monetary compensation, McCarthy and Stonich want Poison to stop playing the songs. While Poison refuted the claims, McCarthy and Stonich's lawyer later released a transcription of a 1994 interview in which DeVille seems to confirm that there may be something in them.

Jon Bon Jovi opened a "pay what you like" restaurant in Red Bank, New Jersey. The JBJ Soul Kitchen, an establishment specializing in healthy variations on classic soul food dishes, will not have prices on its menu. Instead, diners can either earn free meals by doing volunteer work in the community or pay a suggested donation.

And finally, Slash gave his backing to a campaign to have Rory Gallagher inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The campaign has so far attracted more than 12,000 votes and you can add your name to the list HERE