Drowning Pool's Ryan McCombs Talks Social Media

Drowning Pool singer Ryan McCombs is blasting social media.

In a new interview, McCombs spoke about the drawbacks of social media, including the way it has made people less civil in how they talk to each other.

He said, “Social media sucks. Social media is cool because it has given us all a way to stay in contact. That's pretty much where the coolness of it stops. There's so much negativity. I mean, people criticizing TV shows and movies — all anybody's got to say about anything anymore is negative sh*t.”

He went on to say, “You jump on social media nowadays and it's a bummer. And then you've got people with the politics. They think they're making a difference by posting some stupid meme on fricking social media instead of actually doing something about the issue.”

He added, “Man, if I could go back in time and… There's that, 'What would you do if you could go back in time?' … my thing would be I would do whatever I could to make sure that social media never existed so that you would walk into a restaurant and you wouldn't see a family sitting at a table with everybody with their faces in their phones, and families would actually be communicating again and people would be communicating again and not so quick to be tough and talk shit on the social media."

Marilyn Manson Drops New Album, Music Video

Marilyn Manson's new album One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1 is out today.

The singer also released a music video for the title track.

The album is Manson's first with Nuclear Blast Records, which signed him after he was dropped by his former label after multiple women accused him of abusive behavior. He has denied the allegations.

He's scheduled to play Machaca Rock Fest in Guadalupe, Mexico next week.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, WARREN HAYNES: Massive Hurricane Benefit

The Dave Matthews Band and Warren Haynes are teaming up for a big hurricane relief benefit. Soulshine is Sunday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City and besides DMB and The Warren Haynes Band, it will feature Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and

Goose plus special guests Trey Anastasio, Mavis Staples, Robert Randolph, Joe Russo,

Trombone Shorty, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks.

The show is sold out but will be streamed at SoulShineMSG.com starting at 7:00 pm ET.

Proceeds from the event will go to SOULSHINE Concert Fund at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, which direcst money to Habitat for Humanity’s 2024 Hurricane Recovery fund and a variety of non-profits on the ground in North Carolina and Florida.

It's a cause that's close to the heart of Warren Haynes, whose hometown of Asheville, North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene. Haynes had to cancel his annual Christmas Jam in Asheville because of the damage done to the city.

Haynes tells us that "When I reached out to [the DMB] camp they were already considering doing something based on the fact that a lot of their crew is in the Sarasota area." "My connection with the Dave Matthews Band goes almost all the way back to the beginning. I think we played together the first time or two times that they ever played in New York. We've been friends for a long, long time and they have such a wonderful spirit of generosity and community and just so compassionate about giving back."

STEVE PERRY: A Touching Tribute

Steve Perry has released another song off his Christmas album, The Season 3. This one is a cover of “Call Me Irresponsible,” which was recorded by Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Brenda Lee and many others.

Perry says, “My father, Ray Perry, was a singer and when I was a child he would sing to me at bedtime. I recently found a karaoke cassette of my dad singing that he sent me back in 1993 for Christmas. The one song that touched me the most was, 'Call Me Irresponsible'. His voice was lovely, but the karaoke track was not. “Using technology, we pulled his voice off the cassette and recorded beautiful music around him. Once that was done, an unfulfilled dream of singing with my father was now possible. You see, mom and dad divorced when I was seven, and dad and I never saw much of each other after that. Singing with my father after all these years was a very emotional experience for me. His voice was just as I remembered it as a child. “At the end of his cassette, dad says, ‘Merry Christmas, God Love Ya.’ To hear him speak again brought tears to my eyes." An animated video is also up on YouTube.

The Season 3 is out now. It’s Perry's first release on the late George Harrison's Dark Horse Records, and he says there’s more to come. “I've so much music in me that has yet to be heard. To be able to work with a team of people who support and respect my creative expressions is a dream come true." Perry’s last pop rock album was Traces in 2018.

NIRVANA: How They Almost Stayed a Trio

Pat Smear's joining Nirvana in 1993 almost ended before it started. His first show with them was on Saturday Night Live on September 25th, 1993, but Kurt Cobain didn't like the guitar he chose to play on the show. During a recent conversation with his Foo Fighters bandmates

Dave Grohl and Chris Shiflett for Premier Guitar, Smear said he'd planned to play his new Charvel guitar. “What I didn’t know at the time... There was a discussion about me and that guitar like, ‘No, no, no, we can’t let him on stage.’ “Kurt ended up giving me this rad guitar (a blue Mosrite Mark V to play instead), which is not a Charvel.”

Smear had the guitar until last year when the Foo Fighters were on SNL appearance with H.E.R. He noticed she was playing a Charvel, so he sent her his.

GRAHAM NASH: Second Chance at Life With His Best Friend

When David Crosby underwent a liver transplant 30 years ago this Wednesday, November 20th in 1994, due to hepatitis C, his bandmate Graham Nash was by his side. Asked about that day, Nash tells us, "I went to the hospital with his surgeon, who lived next to me, when David was about to have the surgery after they found a liver donor. As I was leaving his room I said to him, 'If you die and leave me with [Stephen] Stills I'll kill you.' And we left him laughing."

Paid for by Phil Collins -- whose number-one song in 1989, "Another Day in Paradise," featured Crosby on background vocals -- the transplant led to public discussions about celebrities getting preferential treatment, notwithstanding Crosby's abuse of alcohol and drugs. In 1998, we discussed the transplant with Crosby, who told us, "Things are good with me. I'm very glad to be alive." "Transplants don't live a long time. Not that we know of. But when you have a little son [Django] and a wife [Jan] that you love, if you get 20 days you're happy. If you get 20 years you're ecstatic. I have no idea how long I'm gonna last. I live a very precarious life. But, it makes you treasure everyday that you do get and I do, and it makes you not waste anytime, and I don't."

On average, about 75% of liver transplant recipients live for another five years. Crosby crushed those odds, living for 29 years and two months until his death on January 18th, 2023 from complications related to COVID. He was 81. He was 53 when he had the transplant.

Other artists who had liver transplants and sadly did not live as long as Crosby include Gregg Allman, Lou Reed and Phil Lesh, although he had a good run, surviving another 26 years.

Bob Dylan Added A Fake Scene To His Biopic On Purpose

Bob Dylan reportedly added an inaccurate scene to his upcoming biopic “A Complete Unknown”…on purpose. Apparently director James Mangold told Edward Norton, who plays Pete Seeger in the movie, that Dylan insisted on adding at least one inaccurate scene…and when Mangold pushed back, Dylan asked him “What do you care what other people think?” It’s not confirmed what scene Dylan made inaccurate at this time. Norton, who is apparently a big fan of Dylan, notes “he’s such a troublemaker."

Bruce Springsteen brings his 2024 tour schedule to an end this Friday with his eighth Canadian date, this one in Vancouver. He’ll be back on the road starting May 14th in Manchester, England.

The Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, which will open on Christmas Day, is among the nominees for AARP’s 24th annual Movies for Grownups Awards. It’s up for Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups, Best Director for James Mangold, Best Screenwriter for Jay Cocks and Mangold, Best Ensemble, and Best Time Capsule. The awards will be handed out on January 11th at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California and will air on Great Performances on PBS on February 23rd.

Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman was honored Wednesday in London with the Oldie of the Year award at The National Liberal Club. The event celebrated his achievements and contributions over the years. Wyman is 88.

Yes guitarist Steve Howe has joined former singer Jon Davison in denying the allegations in a lawsuit filed by their friend and fellow prog musician Riz Story. Story claims that they plagiarized his song “Reunion” for the Yes song “Dare to Know.” Howe says, “Jon Davison did not write ‘Dare to Know.’ I did, and it was based on a theme I’ve been developing since 1973. Early versions can easily be found in our demo and studio recordings from the time and on the Internet – some were released on an expanded version of Tales of Topographic Oceans in 2002.” Along with his statement he attached a 12-second audio sample.

Elton John’s new documentary, Never Too Late, won the award for best song in a documentary for the title track Wednesday at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. He shares it with his co-writers – Bernie Taupin and Brandi Carlile – and producer Andrew Watt. Taupin was also awarded the Outstanding Career Achievement Award. Never Too Late is playing in select theaters before debuting on Disney+ on December 13th.

Message in a Bottle, the dance production in London set to the music of Sting, will be available to stream on demand from Sunday, December 8th through January 7th, 2025 with an online watch party on the 8th. For details go to Watch.SadlersWells.com.

Former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'Anno was laid to rest Thursday at the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium in Manor Park, East London. Di'Anno, whose real name was Paul Andrews, passed away on October 21st from a "tear in the sac around the heart." He was 66.

Pat Benatar and her bandleader husband Neil Giraldo will release a children’s picture book next fall. My Grandma and Grandpa Rock! is described as “a lyrical read-aloud that celebrates all kinds of grandparents from all walks of life – from plumbers to yoga instructors to…rock stars!” Pat and Neil have three grandkids, and they say, “When we met in 1979, having children was one of our dreams. We were blessed with two beautiful daughters and now have three darling grandchildren – our dream on steroids!” The book will be published on September 9th.

Chrissie Hynde has a new exhibit of her paintings opening this Friday at The Arc Gallery and Gallery 5 in London. Hynde Sight runs through December 14th.

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