The fourth edition of the Revolver Golden Gods Awards last night at
- Johnny Depp joined Marilyn Manson on guitar for half of their four song set, and Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless sang with Manson on another number.
- Alice Cooper closed Slash's set by singing "School's Out" with the band.
- Twisted Sister's Dee Snider sang "I Wanna Rock" with Black Veil Brides.
- Slipknot's Corey Taylor and Machine Head's Robb Flynn joined Trivium for Metallica's "Creeping Death."
For the second straight year, Avenged Sevenfold took home the most awards. This year they were they only multiple winner, with two -- for Best Live Band and Most Dedicated Fans. Last year they won four awards. Other winners included Nikki Sixx (Best Bassist), Slash (Riff Lord), Jinxx and Jake Pitts of Black Veil Brides (Best Guitarist, in a field made up of guitar duos). Amy Lee of Evanescence (Best Vocalist), Five Finger Death Punch's Jeremy Spencer (Best Drummer), Slipknot (Comeback of the Year), X Japan (International Band) and Korn (Album of the Year, for The Path of Totality).
Gene Simmons of KISS accepted the Golden God Award and Rush drummer Neil Peart picked up his band's Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achivement Award. Both winners had previously been announced.
Other highlights included:
- Yngwie Malmsteen's opening solo rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner," with a Navy Honor Guard on stage.
- Two songs from Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx's other project, Sixx A:M -- their first performance in nearly four years.
- Now-freed West Memphis Three prisoner Damien Echols' emotional introduction of Manson, who'd made an impassioned plea for their release at the Golden Gods Awards two years ago.
- A brief appearance by Aerosmith's Joe Perry to poke some fun at host Chris Jericho.
And one lowlight:
- Slash refusing to take any questions about Guns'N'Roses' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction on the event's "black carpet," while others, including James Durbin and Alice Cooper, shared their thoughts on Axl Rose's announcement that he will refuse his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. --Dave Schulps
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They're won't be any Guns n' Roses reunion at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction this weekend because Axl Rose isn't showing up. Rose penned a lengthy open letter to the Rock Hall, sent it to the Los Angeles Times and posted it on Facebook. It's addressed "To the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Guns n' Roses Fans and Whom It May Concern," and in it Rose even says, "I respectfully decline my induction as a member."
Other highlights of the letter:
- Rose criticizes ex-drummer Steven Adler for a 2007 interview in Billboard about a possible reunion: "Steven was at our show at the Hard Rock, later in '06 in Las Vegas, where I invited him to our after-party and was rewarded with his subsequent interviews filled with reunion lies. Lesson learned."
- There will never be a reunion: "In regard to a reunion of any kind of either the Appetite or Illusion lineups, I've publicly made myself more than clear. Nothing's changed."
- He thinks no one wants him there: "Taking into consideration the history of Guns n' Roses, those who plan to attend along with those the Hall for reasons of their own, have chosen to include in "our" induction (that for the record are decisions I don't agree with, support or feel the Hall has any right to make), and how (albeit no easy task) those involved with the Hall have handled things...no offense meant to anyone, but the Hall of Fame induction ceremony doesn't appear to be somewhere I'm actually wanted or respected."
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Duff McKagan was holding out hope that the original Guns n' Roses lineup would play something Saturday at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Cleveland until Axl Rose announced he wasn't attending. He wrote in his weekly ESPN.com column, "I, too, now hope that we can just play a couple of songs there, and just sort of throw the microphone down on the stage and walk off. The rock-and-roll world would be set ablaze once again...and we could make a bunch of fans happy and sated to some degree... But alas, I am only responsible for me, and can only speak for me... Part of me growing has been to realize I am powerless over others." --Steve Reynolds
Rush have set June 12th as the release date for their next album, Clockwork Angels. Featuring 12 songs, it will be their 20th studio effort and first since 2007's Snakes and Arrows. The album has a running theme of "a young man's quest across a lavish and colorful world of steampunk and alchemy as he attempts to follow his dreams." Science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson is writing novel based on the album in collaboration with Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart.
The first single from Clockwork Angels, "Headlong Flight," will hit the airwaves on April 19th. Rush will announce a North American tour in support of the album shortly.
Rush received the Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award last night at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles. --Sal Cirrincione
Clockwork Angels track list:
- Caravan
- BU2B
- Clockwork Angels
- The Anarchist
- Carnies
- Halo Effect
- Seven Cities of Gold
- The Wreckers
- Headlong Flight
- BU2B2
- Wish Them Well
- The Garden
