Guns N' Roses (GN'R) is an American hard rock band whose dangerous reputation, controversial front man, and technical prowess have made them one of the most popular rock and roll bands ever. The band's defiant 1987 major label debut, Appetite for Destruction, gained them worldwide notoriety while their 1991 second major effort, the simultaneous releases of Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, and subsequent tour cemented the band's place as a heavily influential member of rock and roll history. Their rapid fall from these heights, continuous personnel changes and a long period of inactivity has contributed to an aura of legendary mystique.

History
Guns N' Roses was founded in Los Angeles in June 1985. Their unique style incorporated punk, blues, thrash, and other genres of music into the popular heavy metal music of the time. The band was formed by singer Axl Rose, guitarist Tracii Guns, guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Robbie Gardner. The name was derived from a combination of the pseudonymous last names of Guns and Rose, as well as making reference to members' affiliation with their previous bands: Hollywood Rose and LA Guns.


Rise to fame
When Tracii Guns and Robbie Gardner could not attend the first Guns N' Roses show in Seattle, Rose called guitarist Slash and drummer Steven Adler, whom he had met recently, and asked if they would join the band on stage for the show. The two agreed and the band's most famous line-up was finalized. On the way back to Los Angeles, the five members wrote the lyrics for the song "Welcome to the Jungle", which eventually became their signature song.

The band released a self-produced EP, Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide, in 1986. Copies of the EP reached Geffen Records executives who soon signed the band. Appetite for Destruction, GNR's debut album, was released on August 21, 1987. The album sold 20 million copies and hit #1 on the charts. The album included the songs "Welcome to the Jungle", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City", all of which were top 10 singles on the Billboard charts. As of 2005, Appetite For Destruction remains the best-selling debut album of all time.

Guns N' Roses' next release was the acoustic CD G N' R Lies in 1988, which hit #2 on the music charts. The song "One In A Million", which used the words "niggers" and "faggots", led to controversy that accused the band (or Axl) of racism and homophobia, which Axl denied, saying his (then) lead guitarist was half black and that he was a big fan of homosexual singers such as Freddie Mercury and Elton John.

The song "Welcome to the Jungle" was included on the soundtrack of the Dirty Harry movie The Dead Pool, which led to a couple of seconds of screen time for the band.

In 1989, Guns N' Roses were presented with an American Music Award for favorite Pop/Rock single for "Sweet Child O' Mine". At the televised annual award show in 1989, Duff McKagan and Slash appeared intoxicated and used strong language while accepting the award for Best Heavy Metal Album for Appetite For Destruction, and Best Heavy Metal Song for "Paradise City". Because of the incident, subsequent American Music Award shows have been broadcast using a five second delay.

Shortly after the release of Lies, drummer Steve Adler was dismissed from the band, reportedly due to his unwillingness to address his heroin addiction. Other members took further steps to deal with their addictions after Rose spoke up about them "dancing with Mr. Brownstone" during an opening set for the Rolling Stones. "Mr. Brownstone" is a common nickname for heroin.

[edit]
The Use Your Illusion Tour (1991-1993)
In 1990 Guns N' Roses returned to the studio with new drummer Matt Sorum and keyboardist Dizzy Reed to begin work on the band's most ambitious undertaking yet. With enough music for a double album, the band instead chose to release Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II as two separate albums on September 17, 1991. The tactic paid off when the albums debuted as #2 and #1 on the Billboard Music charts.

After the release of the Use Your Illusion albums, Guns N' Roses went on a 28-month-long world tour which was notorious both for its success and for many controversial incidents along the way. Possibly the most famous of these incidents took place in the summer of 1991, when Axl Rose jumped into the audience during a concert in St. Louis, Missouri. Rose hit one of the fans after taking away a video camera with which the fan was recording the show. After that, Rose left the stage and the angry crowd began a riot in which dozens of people were injured. Rose was charged with having incited a riot, but the police was unable to arrest him until almost a year later, because the band went overseas to continue the tour. Charges were filed against Rose, but a judge ruled he had not directly incited the riot. During this time, guitarist Izzy Stradlin quit the band due to differences with Rose. He was replaced by Los Angeles-based guitarist Gilby Clarke. The band also appeared at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert that year.

During this time, "November Rain" became the most requested video on MTV, eventually winning an MTV Video Music Award for best cinematography. During the awards show, the band performed "November Rain" with singer Elton John.

In May 1993, Gilby Clarke broke his wrist in a motorcycling accident, and the band needed a replacement for some shows in Europe. Stradlin briefly returned for a string of 5 shows before leaving yet again.

Decline
In 1993, Guns N' Roses released a collection of mostly punk covers entitled The Spaghetti Incident?. This album did not match the success of the Illusion albums and tensions continued to increase within the band. In 1994, Rose fired Gilby Clarke. That same year, a cover version of The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" was recorded by the band (with Rose's childhood friend Paul Tobias replacing Gilby Clarke), for the movie Interview with the Vampire. The addition of Tobias seemed to be the spark that set off the final disintegration of the band's original line-up. During the recording of "Sympathy for the Devil", Tobias played over the original solo that Slash recorded, and Rose deleted several contributions from the other members. The next member to quit was Slash in 1996, citing creative differences with Rose. A year later, Sorum was fired from the group after having a serious verbal dispute with Rose in the studio. Months later, McKagan opted out of his contract. This left Axl Rose as the sole original member of the band.


The new GN'R

Axl Rose during a concert in 2002 with the new line-up of the band.In 1998 Axl Rose returned to the studio accompanied by drummer Josh Freese (of the Vandals), bassist Tommy Stinson (formerly of The Replacements), guitarist Robin Finck (formerly of Nine Inch Nails), guitarist Paul Tobias (aka Paul Huge), and keyboardist Dizzy Reed.

In 1999, the band released one new song, "Oh My God", which was included on the soundtrack of End of Days. This song was intended to be a prelude for a new album: Chinese Democracy. GNR also released Live Era 87-93, which was a collection of songs the original lineup recorded on the road between 1987 and 1993. Later that year, Finck returned to Nine Inch Nails to perform on the world tour for the album The Fragile.

In 2000, avant garde guitarist Buckethead joined Guns N' Roses, and drummer Josh Freese was replaced with Brian Mantia (formerly of Primus).

The revised lineup returned to the stage in January of 2001 with two well-received concerts, one in Las Vegas and one at the Rock in Rio Festival in Rio de Janeiro. The band played a mixture of old hits as well as new songs from their forthcoming album. During the concert, Rose made several comments about the former members of the band:

"I know that many of you are disappointed that some of the people that you came to know and love could not be with us here tonight. Regardless of what you may have read or heard, people worked very hard (meaning my former friends) so that I could not be here with you tonight. I am as hurt and disappointed as you that, unlike other bands, we could not find a way so that we could all get along."[1] (http://www.artistopia.com/Music-Artists/Pros/Bio.asp?ID=250)
The new lineup played another two shows in Las Vegas at the end of 2001. During 2002, guitarist Tobias left the band because of his frustrations with the slow way in which the recording of the new album was going. He was replaced by Richard Fortus, formerly of the band Love Spit Love. The band then played several shows in August of 2002, headlining festivals and concerts in Asia and Europe, and then making their way to New York for a surprise appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

A 2002 American tour, the band's first since 1993, was organized as a prelude to the long-awaited Chinese Democracy album. However, the opening show in Vancouver was cancelled by the venue when Rose failed to show up in a timely manner, and a riot ensued. The tour was met with mixed results. Some concerts in smaller markets did not sell well, while shows in larger markets such as New York and Boston sold out in minutes. Due a second absence by Axl Rose in Philadelphia and the resulting riot by fans, Clear Channel, the tour's promoter, cancelled all remaining shows of the tour.

As of February 2005 the band has not played a show since their December 5, 2002 concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City.


Axl Rose in 2004 with engineers from the Village Recording Studios, where tracks for the Chinese Democracy album were recorded. As of April 2005, this is Rose's last public appearence.Reports issued by the band in 2001 and 2002 claimed that Chinese Democracy was to be released later that year by Interscope/Geffen Records, with whom they had apparently patched up their differences.

In the meantime, despite Rose's vocal and legal protests, Geffen released a greatest hits album on March 23rd. Similarly, Cleopatra records released "Hollywood Rose: The Roots of Guns N' Roses" in early summer over Rose's objections.

In March 2004 Buckethead left the band, causing Rose to cancel their May 30th appearance at Rock in Rio 4 in Lisbon, Portugal. The band is currently in Los Angeles, auditioning new guitar players, and is reportedly still tinkering in the studio with Democracy, which has been in production for over ten years and has cost more than twelve million dollars in studio time alone. It is, of course, currently rumored that Chinese Democracy will be released at last in 2005, but the news is being treated with strong skepticism until more concrete evidence of a release date and promotion for the album is at hand.

However, in April 2005 a demo of a new GN'R song called "IRS" spread through numerous internet sites. The management of the band responded that they have not leaked any new songs to the public, but that the song available on the internet was only a "low quality demo." This event has stirred up more controversy about whether or not the new album will be available this year. [2] (http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20050412-012225-9643r.htm)


The former Members
Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum participated in the one-album side project Neurotic Outsiders in 1995-1996, with former Sex Pistol Steve Jones and Duran Duran bassist John Taylor; the Outsiders had a brief three-show reunion in 1999.

In 2003, Slash, McKagan, and Sorum formed the band Velvet Revolver with Scott Weiland (formerly of Stone Temple Pilots). The band contributed a song to the soundtrack of the film the Hulk before releasing their first album, Contraband, in June 2004. The band toured briefly before the release of the album and in the winter of 2004/2005.

Izzy Stradlin continues to release solo albums and occasionally collaborates on songs with Velvet Revolver. Steven Adler tours with his band Adler's Appetite (formerly Suki Jones) and has plans to record with this band.

McKagan and Slash sued Axl Rose in 2004 over the rights of certain GN'R songs. They claim that Rose has denied several motion pictures the opportunity to use Guns N' Roses songs. They believe that by not allowing the songs they have co-written to be featured in movies, they have been denied the opportunity to make money. On the other hand, Rose claims that all Guns N' Roses songs are part of the GN'R catalog, to which McKagan and Slash agreed to give sole rights to Rose in 1992. The case will be seen in court in November, 2005.


Legacy
Guns N' Roses is recognized as the band that changed the way the heavy metal industry was moving in the late 1980s. While most bands during the period produced simple songs and were dependent of their looks rather than the messages of their music (see hair metal), Guns N' Roses ushered in an era where facial make-up and spandex pants (typical of the late 80s bands) were no longer seen as popular.

Their peers in the music industry spoke highly of the band. Ozzy Osbourne and Joe Perry called GN'R "the next Rolling Stones." In 2002, Q magazine named Guns N' Roses in their list of the "50 Bands To See Before You Die". Also, the television network VH1 ranked Guns N' Roses # 9 in the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock". All of their studio albums of original material appeared in Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Albums of All-Time" list.

However, the band has not been free of criticism from the media. The well-known drug abuse by some members of the group, particularly Slash and McKagan, where used by the media to display GN'R as a bad example to the millions of teenagers that followed them around the world. The long periods of time that took the group to record their albums was also a source of heavy criticism.

Front-man Axl Rose, however, has become a source of both controversy and criticism since the majority of the original members left the group. His excessive elusiveness has led to several stories that claim that he is suffering from serious bipolar disorder. Music critics have blamed Rose for the break-up of the original group, have criticized him for continuing the band after the departure of the originals, and for the "perfectionism" that has contributed to personal conflict and the long delays between albums. Rose has not given a press conference since 1994.

Current members
Axl Rose-vocals (1985-)
Tommy Stinson- Bass (1997-)
Brian Mantia - Drums (2000-)
Richard Fortus- Guitars (2002-)
Robin Finck- Guitars (1996-)
Dizzy Reed-Keyboards (1990-)

Past members
Tracii Guns, guitar (1985)
Robbie Gardner, drums (1985)
Slash, guitars (1985-1996)
Duff McKagan, bass (1985-1997)
Izzy Stradlin, guitar (1985-1991)
Gilby Clarke, guitar (1991-1994)
Steven Adler, drums (1985-1990)
Matt Sorum, drums (1990-1997)
Paul Tobias, guitar (1994-2002)
Josh Freese, drums (1997-2000)
Buckethead, guitar (2000-2004)

AC/DC is an Australian Metal band considered to be pioneers of heavy metal music. The group was formed in Sydney, Australia in December, 1973. Their albums have sold in colossal numbers, the total now being estimated at 100 million copies worldwide.

AC/DC is generally divided into "Bon Scott era (1974-80)" and "Brian Johnson era (1980-present)". Some fans have a preference, others point to the merits of both singers and appreciate them equally.


History
Born in Scotland, the brothers Angus and Malcolm Young moved with their family to Sydney, Australia as children. Malcolm began playing guitar first, soon followed by Angus. Malcolm first played with a Newcastle, NSW band called The Velvet Underground (not the Lou Reed group).

Their older brother George Young had been a member of Australia's most successful Sixties band The Easybeats, who were the first local pop act to score an overseas hit ("Friday On My Mind") in 1967. After Young and his Easybeats partner Harry Vanda returned to Australia in late 1973, they became the house producers for the newly-formed Albert Productions record label whose owner, Ted Albert (a scion of the venerable J. Albert & Sons music publishing family), had been the Easybeats' producer between 1965 and 1967.

Young asked the boys to do some session work for a project he was doing (The Marcus Hook Roll Band). Angus then formed a band called Tantrum. After The Velvet Underground, Malcolm decided to form a more pure rock and roll band, and enlisted Angus and they were soon signed to the new Albert label, and Vanda & Young produced their first seven LPs.

The early lineups changed often; original drummer Colin Burgess (ex-Masters Apprentices) was sacked after passing out on stage (reportedly because someone spiked his drink) and a number of different bassists and drummers passed through the band over the next year. In September 1974 original vocalist Dave Evans was replaced by by charismatic singer Ronald "Bon" Scott, the former co-lead singer of '60s pop band The Valentines and 70s progressive group Fraternity. This signified the beginning of real success. Another vital innovation was Angus Young's adoption of his now-famous school uniform as a regular stage outfit; the original was reputedly Angus' real uniform from his secondary school, Ashfield Boys' High, in Sydney. The band also started the myth that Angus was born in 1959 rather than 1955 - claiming he was only 14 when the band formed in December 1973.

Between 1974 and 1978, aided by regular appearances on the nationally-broadcast TV pop show Countdown, AC/DC became one of the most popular and successful acts in Australia, scoring a string of hits albums and singles including their perennial 1975 rock anthem "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock and Roll)".

Relocating to London in the late 1970s, they worked all over the UK and Europe to establish themselves, touring almost constantly and gaining invaluable experience on the stadium circuit supporting the top hard-rock acts of the day including Alice Cooper, Rush, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Boston, Black Sabbath, Cheap Trick, Heart, The Scorpions, Molly Hatchet, Ronnie Montrose, Nazareth, UFO, Journey, Foreigner, Van Halen, Styx, Blue Öyster Cult, Alvin Lee, Rainbow, Savoy Brown, REO Speedwagon, The Doobie Brothers, Thin Lizzy and The Who.

Rhythm Guitarist Malcolm Young once recalled in AC/DC's VH1 Behind the Music Series an incident from an England tour with Black Sabbath. Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath's Bassist), in a drunken rage, pulled a knife on Malcolm. The incident was quickly resolved without conflict, and the conjoined tour promptly ended. Ozzy and Bon stayed in contact however.

They survived the punk rock upheavals of 1976-78, partly because they were (erroneously) tagged as a punk band by the British music press. They gained a solid cult following in the UK with their powerful performances and outrageous stage antics; Angus Young quickly became notorious for mooning (i.e. showing his buttocks) to the audience and the group was banned from several British venues because of this. Their meaty hard-rock sound and Bon Scott's provocative, leering stage persona are also reputed to have been significant influences on Johnny Rotten and The Sex Pistols. The band were also a pivotal influence to the then emerging New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene, with artists such as Def Leppard and Saxon clearly displaying simililarities to the trademark sound of AC/DC.

In 1980, Angus and Malcolm had begun working on the music and guitar riffs for their forthcoming new album when after a night of hard drinking, Bon Scott was found in the back seat of his friend's car. He died from both choking on his own vomit and hypothermia (Ozzy Osbourne would later write and record a song about Scott's death, the widely misinterpreted "Suicide Solution"). Shortly after, the band brought in a new lead singer—Brian Johnson, formerly of the band Geordie—completed the song-writing and began recording Back in Black. This became their biggest-selling album to date, a hard-rock landmark that would ultimately be named in tribute to Bon. The title track is quintessential AC/DC: pounding guitars, start-stop rhythms, and the vocal style one critic affectionately described as "crotched on barbed wire".

Over the next eight years, the Young brothers and Johnson wrote nearly all of their songs, but in 1990, with Brian Johnson committed elsewhere, it was left to the Young brothers to carry on the creation of the group's music, while Johnson assumed all the vocals, lead and background, a feat unable to be duplicated in the band's live concerts (in the same manner Freddie Mercury's overdubbed vocal style could never have been duplicated when he and his band Queen toured live).

Drummer Phil Rudd left after a mysterious argument with one member, possibly Malcolm. He was repalced by Simon Wright from Tytan. With the new lineup they recorded the less successful Fly On The Wall (1985). A home video of the group at a bar playing five of the album's ten songs with various goings on (and a cartoon fly) about was also released. In 1986, the group released Who Made Who, the soundtrack to Stephen King's film Maximum Overdrive. The album included three new cuts along with old hits, only one from the Bon Scott Era. The next album, Blow Up Your Video (1987) is considered to be their all-time worst album. Following it, Wright left the group, replaced by session vet Chris Slade. The first album with this new lineup was The Razor's Edge, a big comeback for the group that included the hits "Thunderstruck" and "Money Talks." By 1994, Slade was gne and Phil Rudd had returned. With the 1980-1983 lineup back, the group recorded Ballbreaker (1995) and Stiff Upper Lip (2000). As of April 2005, they are working on their next album.

In 2002, Q magazine named AC/DC as one of the "50 Bands To See Before You Die".

In 2003, the Recording Industry Association of America upgraded the group's U.S. sales figures, increasing their cumulative sales from 46.5 million to 63 million, making AC/DC the fifth-best-selling band in U.S. music history, behind The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Eagles.

In March 2003 the walls at New York's historic Waldorf Astoria hotel shook as AC/DC performed Highway To Hell during part of their induction to the American Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame. Along side Malcolm, Angus, Phil, Cliff and Brian were two of Bon Scott's nephews and in a brief acceptance the band again thanked the fans for their support.

On July 30, 2003, the band gave an amazing performance at Sarsfest in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with The Rolling Stones before an audience of 500,000 to help the city overcome the effects of the 2003 SARS epidemic.

2003 also saw the Recording Industry Association of America certify the classic Back in Black album as Double Diamond (20,000,000) sales in the US .

[edit]
Name
The name "AC/DC" (alternating current/direct current) was suggested by their sister Margaret after she read it on an electric sewing machine's label. The term has a bisexual connotation that they were supposedly unaware of initially. Public response brought it to their attention. This public perception was exacerbated by their early "glam rock" image, which included satin jump-suits (common rock attire in the early '70s) and other costumes including Angus' schoolboy persona. Note: Many bands adopted a deliberately theatrical and androgynous look at the time, including Malcolm's heroes The Rolling Stones and Marc Bolan.

Some have suggested that the name stood for "Anti-Christ/Devil Children"; though this is certainly not the case, the rumour has long persisted both among critics who, already disliking the band's image, use it to paint the band as Satanists, and among some fans who, especially in the 1980s, enjoyed the counter-cultural offense such a meaning would cause.

On 1 October 2004 Melbourne's Corporation Lane was officially renamed ACDC Lane in honour of the band (street names in the City of Melbourne cannot contain the "/" character). It is near Swanston Street, the location where the band recorded their 1975 video "It's a Long Way to the Top".

The name AC/DC is pronounced one letter at a time, although the band is nicknamed by its Australian fans as "Acca Dacca".

One country music band has named themselves Hayseed Dixie, as a parody of the AC/DC name. In a similar vein, a German AC/DC cover band call themselves AM/FM.


Member History
Current Members

Angus Young (Lead Guitar) 1973-
Malcolm Young (Rhythm Guitar) 1973-
Brian Johnson (Vocals) 1980-
Phil Rudd (Drums) 1973-1983, 1994-
Cliff Williams (Bass Guitar) 1978-

Whitesnake was a British heavy metal band, active primarily in the 1980s. The band was formed by David Coverdale (of Deep Purple) and was originally popular only in Europe and Japan.

During the first years, their music was primarily blues-oriented hard rock. Members of the band include Jon Lord and Ian Paice of Deep Purple as well as Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody.

After a major personnel shift, Whitesnake released 1984's Slide It In, a platinum album. The following album, Whitesnake 1987, was another huge success, driven by the power ballad "Is This Love" and the hit single, "Here I Go Again".

The band was reformed again for Slip of the Tongue (1989), which featured Steve Vai; the record did not sell well in spite of that. 1990 saw a Greatest Hits album, but other than that the band was dormant until 1997. In that year, an album called Restless Heart was released, though not in the United States. Since then Whitesnake has only released an unplugged Japan show Starkers In Tokyo.

In 2003 Whitesnake regrouped for a 25-year celebration tour.

White Lion was a hard rock/heavy metal music band of the 1980s and early 1990s. The band was formed in New York City in 1984 by Denmark-born vocalist Mike Tramp. After moving from Denmark, Mike met guitarist Vito Bratta, forming a band.

Later, the band grew to include drummer Nicki Capozzi and bassist Felix Robinson. The band was signed by a small label called Grand Slam records in January 1985. While recording the song The Road to Valhalla, both Capozzi and Robinson left the band. Nicki Capozzi was replaced by Dan Spitz, and Felix Robinson was replaced by James Lomenzo. Within a month of joining, Dan spitz left and was replaced by former Anthrax drummer Greg D'Angelo.

The band then finished their debut album, Fight to Survive, which was released on November 9, 1985. A few months later, Grand Slam records went bankrupt.

In 1986, White Lion, with a fictitious "female" member, had a brief part in the Tom Hanks/Shelley Long movie The Money Pit. Early in 1987, the band was signed by Atlantic Records. By then, their debut album was out of print and extremely hard to find.

On June 21, 1987, their second album, Pride, was released (the same day as Keel's Keel album, and Helix's Wild in The Streets) The first single from Pride was 'Wait/Don't Give Up, released on June 1, 1987. However, it took seven months before the song became a hit.

The Pride tour started in July 1987 as White Lion opened for Ace Frehley's 80s band Frehley's Comet. In September 1987, White Lion became the opening band for KISS (who had just started their Crazy Nights tour).

White Lion spent the rest of 1987 on tour with KISS. In January 1988 started opening for AC/DC on their Blow Up Your Video tour.

While opening for AC/DC, the Pride album and Wait single finally charted. Wait hit #8 on the singles chart, while Pride stalled at #11 on the album chart.

In August 1988, the album's second single Tell Me stopped at #58. Around the time this single was released, White Lion played at the Ritz club in New York City. Like Guns N' Roses, White Lion's show at the Ritz was filmed and later aired on MTV.

White Lion concluded the Pride tour by opening for Stryper from September 1988 to February 1989 during Stryper's In God We Trust tour. The Pride album's third single When The Children Cry made it to #3, making Pride one of about 18 hard rock albums to ever have multiple top 10 hits.

In August 1989, White Lion released their third album Big Game. This was followed, in 1991, by Mane Attraction. Unfortunately, by the end of 1991, White Lion had broken up.

As an afterthought, Atlantic Records released the Best of White Lion compilation album in 1992. It must be noted that the song "Radar Love" was included in this album, a cover considered by many, one of the best ever made.

In 1993, bassist James Lomenzo joined former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde in a band called Pride and Glory, while vocalist Mike Tramp started a solo career.

Towards the end of 2003, Mike Tramp said that White Lion was planning to reunite. This statement was quickly denied by the other members.

Tesla is both the name of an American hard rock band and the nickname of its singer, Jeff Keith, originating from Sacramento, California. The band formed in 1984 as City Kidd and was renamed to Tesla during the recording of their first album on the advice of their manager. Aside from Keith, the group also includes Frank Hannon (Guitar), Tommy Skeoch (Guitar), Brian Wheat (Bass), Troy Luccketta (Drums).

Tesla`s music fitted well with the blasting sound of the 80s hair bands, but was more bluesy and lyrics dealt with other themes than just the usual, girls, alcohol and violence. But what set them even more apart from their contemporaries was their T-shirt and jeans image which was in strong contrast for that time, characteristic of leather pants and flashy-make up.

Tesla's popular 1990 remake of Signs, originally recorded by the Five Man Electrical Band (who also inspired the album which the remake came from, Five Man Acoustical Jam), is probably the most mainstream of Tesla's hits. However, many fans remember fondly Tesla's other hits such as Gettin' Better, Modern Day Cowboy, Little Suzi, Edison`s Medicine and Love Song.

The band derived their name, certain album and song names, and some song content from events relating to Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer born in the 19th century.

Judas Priest is an immensely influential heavy metal band formed in 1969 in Birmingham, England. Often called just Priest, the band's classic line-up consists of vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, and Ian Hill on bass guitar. Alongside thier juniors, Iron Maiden, they epitomize the classic heavy metal genre, particularly the NWOBHM movement.


Musical style and influences

Judas PriestOne of the originators of heavy metal, and one of the few pure, or classic, heavy metal bands, Judas Priest are best known for their two-lead-guitar sound and are particularly noted for the complex guitar duets of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, Rob Halford's high-pitched screams, and lead vocals. However, the band's biggest musical innovation is the dual 'rhythm guitar', i.e. the accompainment, or riff, which plays an essential role in all hard rock genres and especially in heavy metal. Although Wishbone Ash, Thin Lizzy and the Scorpions have had two guitarists each and to some extent did play harmonies and dual leads, none had played dual rhythm consistently as an integral part of their music. Dual rhythm consists in two guitarists playing the same exact melody (riff) simultanously. There may be minor differences in sound, tone, tenacity, and an occasional deviation from the melody for a very short period (like a short improvisation, or insert - just a few notes). Since Judas Priest introduced this new style of rhythm guitar with their first release "Rocka Rolla", it has become a standard feature of Heavy Metal. Another important aspect of their unique style is often inserting very melodic solos, or "lead breaks" - amidst fast and brutal riffs (eg. - "Rock Hard Ride Free", "Night Crawler", "Hellrider").

Many people, including influential musicians and members of prominent hard rock and heavy metal bands believe that the foundation for what would define "pure" heavy metal were three early Judas Priest albums; Sad Wings Of Destiny (1976), Sin After Sin(1977), and Stained Class(1978). The band played louder and faster than most rock groups at the time and brought a more "metallic" sound to their guitars. The songs varied from extremely simple and straightforward tunes (eg. - "The Ripper", "One For The Road", "Starbreaker") to fairly structured, changing from fast and loud to slower tempo and softer tunes in one song (eg.- "Victim Of Cahnges", "Run Of The Mill", "Beyond The realms Of Death"). Their 1978 album "Killing Machine" (entitled "Hell Bent For Leather" and released in 1979 in the USA) saw a slight change of direction towards shorter, more "poppy" or "americanized" songs, especially lyrically. The following release, British Steel took an even sharper turn in the same direction, and was perhaps the first heavy metal album to record radio-friendly songs with pop hooks, in a concise format, pioneering an approach used by many others (Quiet Riot, Dokken, Twisted Sister, Accept, Def Leppard) to taste commercial success. However, Priest are perhaps one of the only bands who retain a definite heavy metal sound, with all the aggression and brutality despite the commercial twist to it.

Their next effort, Point of Entry was hard to define. The sound was very "raw" (minimal sound manipulation), the songs were at a slower than usual tempo. Subsequent albums, especially "Defenders of the Faith" (1984) and "Painkiller" (1990) set standards and influenced the shape of heavy metal. Their last release, "Angel of Retribution" (2005) also contributed to the current revival of heavy metal, after the fade of grunge, alternative, thrash, indie and other temporary trends.

Judas Priest have influenced countless musicians in three musical generations, both in sound, technique and image, and are still active.


History
K.K. (Kenneth Keith) Downing and Ian Hill knew each other since an early age, as they attended the same kindergarten and school. Their friendship drew closer in their early teens as they shared similar musical interests (Hendrix, Cream, Yardbirds) and both started to learn playing an instrument.

In 1970 a fairly well known local ensemble named Judas Priest (after Bob Dylan's song "The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest) broke up and the band's singer Alan Atkins approached Downing and Hill who accepted him as their singer and adopted his former band's name.

With Downing in control, the band moved swiftly from their original bluesy tunes towards what later would be defined as heavy metal. This trio, going through various drummer changes, continued extensive touring of Birmingham and the surrounding areas, sometimes supporting Thin Lizzy, Trapeze until 1972. Fiscal difficulties and problems with thier management, Tony Iommi's company, IMA, lead to Alan Atkins' and drummer Alan Moore's departures.

At the time, Ian Hill was courtesing a girl who suggested her brother, Robert Halford as singer. Halford was admitted in the band, and brought with him drummer John Hinch from his previous band Hiroshima. This line-up toured heavily in the UK, often supporting Budgie, and even headlining some shows in Norway and Germany.

Before the band enterd the studio to record their first album, the record company suggested another musician should join them. Reluctant to add an organ or trumpet player, Downing settled down on a guitarist - Flying Hat Band's Glenn Tipton joined Judas Priest. According to the band, there were some technical malfunctions during recording but the record company refused to address those problems, and their debut album "Rocka Rolla" suffered of "horrible" sound quality. Management problems also prevailed; according to the band, producer Rodger Bain, (who was an estblished professional, having produced numerous albums for famous groups such as Black Sabbath) had too big a say in the production of the album: he left out stage classics "Tyrant", "Genocide", "The Ripper" and "Caviar And Meths" - the latter being cut from an 8 minute song to a 2 minute instrumental.

With their next album the band had gained some more experience and confidence, fully participating in the production, as well as chosing the producers. The result was "Sad Wings Of Destiny"(1976), considered a cornerstone of heavy metal. This album featured mostly old material, including the aforementioned stage classics and an epic "Victim Of Changes" - a song combined of "Whiskey Woman", a stage classic since the era of the first Judas Priest (Al Atkins' band) and "Red Light Lady" brought by Halford from his pervious group Hiroshima. All these songs are now considered classics epitomizing the very essence of classic heavy metal.

With this line-up, Judas Priest recorded twelve studio and two concert albums to different degrees of critical and financial success. Overall, the band has sold in excess of 35 million albums globally.

After the end of their highly acclaimed and successful "Painkiller" tour in 1991, Halford left Judas Priest due to several years of internal tensions in the band. Rumors started to circulate as early as September of 1991, although Halford collaborated with the band in the release of a compilation album entitled "Metal Works: '73-'93" to commemorate their 20th anniversary. He also appeared in a video by the same title, documenting their history. His departure from the band was officially announced later that year.

Tim "The Ripper" Owens, who had previously sung in a Judas Priest tribute band, was hired as Judas Priest's singer. Owens' story of turning from fan to frontman were the inspiration for the film Rock Star, although Owens did not actually participate in the production of the movie.

This line up released two albums, "Jugulator" and "Demolition". Critics and fans alike accused Judas Priest of "selling out" - following the current trends of thrash metal and grunge. Although most bands receiving similar accusations do not neccessarily suffer lower sales, people look at Priest as setters of trends, not followers. The band vehemnetly denied following any trends, claiming that they were simply sounding up to date.

After approximately twelve years apart, Judas Priest and original lead vocalist Rob Halford announced their reunion in July 2003. They immediatly emabrked on a live concert tour in 2004, and co-headlined the Ozzfest in 2004, being named as the "premier act" by almost all U.S. media covering the event. Both tours were extremely successful. A new studio album, named Angel of Retribution was released on March 1st, 2005 (U.S)(on Sony Music/Epic Records) and a global tour in support of the album is currently underway. Judas Priest and 'Ripper' Owens parted amicably, and Owens is now the singer of Iced Earth.

Statistics
Genres: Heavy metal, Hard rock, Classic metal
Origin: Birmingham, United Kingdom
Status: Active
Time: 1967 till present
Label: Sony Music

Current band members
Rob Halford - vocals (1973-1991, and from 2003 onwards)

Glenn Tipton - guitars (1974 - present)

K.K. Downing - guitars (1969 - present)

Ian Hill - bass guitars (1969 - present)

Scott Travis - drums (1989 - present)

Mötley Crüe (Pronounced Mott-Lee Crew) is an American rock band whose members include Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, and Vince Neil.

History
Mötley Crüe formed in January, 1981 (see 1981 in music) in Los Angeles, after bassist Nikki Sixx left the band London, (a band he and Lizzie Grey started in 1979 when he was fired from Blackie Lawless' band Sister). The band London would also be the first band for the later Guns N' Roses guitarists Izzy Stradlin and Slash and for Cinderella drummer Fred Coury)

Sixx inquired with his London bandmate Greg Leon as to whether he knew of any musicians who could join the new band he was intent on forming. Leon recommended the drummer of one his previous bands, Suite 19; its drummer... Tommy Lee.

They'd meet guitarist Mick Mars through an L.A. music newspaper classified ads section. Still without a name, Sixx recommended using the name Christmas. However, the others quickly deciding against the idea. Then... Mick Mars remembered a comment made by a bassist in one of his previous bands. The bassist walked in, looked at the others in the band and said, "What a motley looking crew!"

So they all decided on the name Mottley Krew, which was eventually spelled Motley Crue. Now all they needed was a vocalist. They'd find their singer almost accidentally. They were watching a band called Rock Candy perform. They were going to try to get their guitarist James Alverson into the band. During that show however, Mick Mars convinced them that they didn't need another guitarist. So, instead they decided to try to get Rock Candy's vocalist, Vince Neil.

Now the four original members were together. In November, 1981, their debut album Too Fast For Love was self-produced and released on Leathür Records. Their success in the Los Angeles club scene earned them a recording contract with Elektra Records in early 1982. The debut album was then remastered and re-released on August 20, 1982.

They soon became one of the most popular bands in the country, known as much for their hedonistic lifestyle and seemingly endless abuse of alcohol and drugs as for their music. Their mixture of metal and glam rock stylings produced several massive selling albums during the 1980s.

The band reached its peak popularity in 1989, with the release of their fifth album, Dr. Feelgood, released on September 23, 1989. On October 14 of that year, it became their only No. 1 album, and stayed on the charts for 109 weeks after its release.

Changing trends in music and the temporary departure of Neil from the band in February 1991 caused a decline in Mötley Crüe's commercial success, although a self-titled 1994 release with new frontman John Corabi and 1997's Generation Swine, recorded after Neil returned, both reached the top 10.

In the 1990s, Mötley Crüe was perhaps better known for the women married by three of its members. Both Lee and Sixx married former Playboy Playmates and stars on the TV show Baywatch, Lee to Pamela Anderson and Sixx to Donna D'Errico. Not to be outdone, Neil married former Playmate Heidi Mark. However, only Sixx's marriage has endured the test of time.

In 1999, Lee left to pursue a solo career, and was replaced by Randy Castillo, the drummer on several Ozzy Osbourne albums. Castillo died of cancer on March 26, 2002. No replacement had been named and the band went on hiatus following a 2001 tour in support of their most recent studio release, New Tattoo.

In recent years, Sixx has played in the bands 58 and Brides of Destruction, Lee in Methods of Mayhem and as a solo artist, and Neil tours on an annual basis as a solo artist, singing mostly Mötley Crüe songs. Mars reportedly suffers from a degenerative back condition, and has not performed since 2001.

A 2001 autobiography entitled The Dirt told their full story. In September 2004, Sixx announced that he and Neil had returned to the studio and begun recording new material. In 2004, the four original members announced a farewell tour which will begin February 14, 2005 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The bands latest album, to be released in February 2005, is Red, White, & Crüe. The album will feature some new songs along with the band members' favorite original songs.

Mötley Crüe are perhaps the best-known users of the heavy metal umlaut.

Poison is an American hair metal band which achieved popular success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. With more than 15 million albums sold in the United States alone, the band is one of the most commercially successful rock acts in history.


Hair metal band PoisonThere was also a shortlived British Punk band of this name, who eventually became the Thrash Metal band Anihilated. As well, there was a German black metal band named Poison.

Music
Formed by a group of aspiring rock musicians from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania who moved to Los Angeles, California in search of fame, Poison's music reflected its pedigree and, indeed, the predigree of the music scene the band helped to create. Poison's roots, and those of hair metal in general, lay in America's East, and in particular, the sounds and images associated with New York's KISS, Boston's Aerosmith and Illinois' Cheap Trick. These influences were transplated to California in the late 1970s, mutated following the release of Van Halen's debut in 1978, and ultimately ignited into a colourful music scene on L.A's Sunset Strip in the 1980s. Poison's music, and that of hair metal, was characterised by loud and anthemic guitar riffs, and its image, by flamoyant special effects, costumes, hair and make-up, and a preoccupation with hedonism.

Early years
Poison began life in 1984 as Paris, a band from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania comprising vocalist Bret Michaels, bassist Bobby Dall, guitarist Matt Smith and drummer Rikki Rockett. The band moved to Los Angeles, California in 1985 to begin playing in clubs there.

Smith, who was about to father a child and was concerned about the band's future, returned to Pennsylvania shortly after. The band auditioned for a replacement guitarist, eventually narrowing the field down to three candidates: Slash, who would later join Guns 'N Roses, Steve Silva from The Joe Perry Project, and Brooklyn expatriate C.C. DeVille. Although Michaels and Dall did not initially get along with DeVille, the band eventually agreed that DeVille's "fire" made him the most appropriate candidate [1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Poison_(band)).

The band began to gain notoreity for its theatrical live shows striking "glam" image. Without money for effects, they would fill the stage with old Harley Davidson and car parts, blow up car fuses and pour confetti onto themselves from boxes in the ceiling.

The band's efforts eventually paid off and Michaels, Dall, Rockett and DeVille signed to Enigma Records in 1986 (see 1986 in music). Their debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In was released on August 2, 1986. It included three hits, "Talk Dirty to Me," "I Want Action," and "I Won't Forget You." Sales for the album topped 2 million copies.

In 1987 the band also recorded a cover of the KISS song "Rock And Roll All Nite" for the Less Than Zero movie soundtrack.


Popular success
Poison's second album, Open Up And Say...Ahh!, which was released on May 21, 1988 (see 1988 in music) would ultimately go on to sell 8 million copies worldwide. The record included the band's biggest hit, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," along with other top 10 hits, "Nothin' But A Good Time" and the Loggins and Messina cover "Your Mama Don't Dance." By the time the band toured with David Lee Roth (in 1988 on the Skyscraper Tour,) it was apparent that they had become a major live act. Subsequent headlining shows in support of Open Up and Say... Ahh! would ultimately place the band alongside Metallica as one of the largest-grossing touring acts of the late 1980s.

Poison's third album, Flesh & Blood (1990), released on June 21, 1990 was also highly successful. The record went multi-platinum, spawning three gold singles: "Unskinny Bop," "Ride the Wind," and the ballad "Something To Believe In." Flesh & Blood reached #2 on the American charts, providing the impetus for a further World Tour.

Poison recorded a number of performances during its 1990/1991 "Flesh & Blood" tour which were released in November 1991 as their fourth album, Swallow This Live.

Later years
Despite Poison's success, DeVille's cocaine and alcohol addictions had begun to cause strife in the band. Conflict between Michaels and DeVille cluminated in a fistfight at the MTV Music Awards in 1991, provoked by Deville's inept live performance. Deville was fired and replaced by Pennsylvanian guitar virtuoso Richie Kotzen.

Poison's fifth album, Native Tongue was released on 14 August 1993. The fiery, bluesy rock record was strongly influenced by Kotzen's fresh songwriting contributions and guitar performances. It marked a change for the band as they abandoned their anthemic party tunes to focus on more serious subjects. The record contained the single "Stand," and received generally positive reviews. Sales for the album were comparatively sluggish only selling 1 million copies worldwide. The band toured in support of the album, but tensions mounted between Kotzen and the rest of Poison. Kotzen's future in the band was sealed when it was discovered that he was romantically involved with Rockett's fiance Deanna Eve. Kotzen was promptly fired, and replaced by Blues Saraceno.

Poison began recording its sixth album, Crack a Smile, in 1994. Recording was brought to an abrupt halt in May 1994, when Michaels was involved in an accident in which he lost control of his Ferrari. Michaels suffered a broken nose, ribs, jaw, and fingers and lost four teeth. After his recovery in 1995, the band continued recording. In the face of a sharp decline in demand for 80s hair metal, and with a shift in staff at the label, Capitol Records offered little support for a new Poison record. Instead, the label opted for a Greatest Hits compilation. The record was released on 26 Nov 1996, and went platinum, despite the lack of an immediate tour to support the album.

After eight years apart, Michaels and DeVille were able to patch up their differences during the latter part of 1998. The Greatest Hits reunion tour finally took place in the summer of 1999. The original lineup intact, Poison hit the road. The band's supporting tour was a success, with its show at Pine Knob Amphitheater in Detroit drawing a sell-out crowd of 18,000. Tour dates averaged crowds of 12,000. A summertime appearance on VH1's Behind the Music solidified a newfound popularity for the reunited lineup.

Crack a Smile was finally released on 14 March 2000. The album, a bright and raunchy series of party anthems, contained few traces of the seriousness of Native Tongue.

Later in the same year Poison also released Power to the People marking the return of DeVille to the band. The record contained five new studio songs: "Power to the People," "Can't Bring Me Down," "Last Song," "Strange," and "I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine." The remainder of the album featured live performances from tours in 1999 and 2000.

Poison's most recent record, Hollyweird, was released on 21 May 2002.

Winger is a heavy metal rock group formed in 1987 by Kip Winger, formerly of Alice Cooper's band. In addition to three studio albums, they recorded the song "Battle Stations" for the soundtrack of the movie Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey as well as "Down For The Count" for Karate Kid 3.

After their 1993 album,'Pull', the band broke up in 1994 and Kip embarked on a solo career; in 2001 the band returned to the studio to record "On the Inside" for The Very Best of Winger. 2001 In 2002 they united to tour the US and Canada on a bill with Poison.

It is noteworthy that Winger was the subject of ridicule in the animated series Beavis and Butt-head during the mid 1990's. The neighbor-boy Stewart, who was always unsuccessfully trying to be accepted by Beavis and Butt-head, was usually depicted wearing a Winger t-shirt. This has been cited as one of the reasons for the band losing popularity.

Krokus is a hard rock/heavy metal band from Switzerland who had a margin of popularity in the 1980s through MTV exposure and videos

Bullet Boys or Bulletboys are a heavy metal band that was formed by vocalist Marq Torien and guitarist Mick Sweda in the late 1980's after the pair left King Kobra.

The band's first two albums (Bullet Boys and Freakshow) were well received by critics and fans alike.

Bullet Boys would split up in 1995 following the recording of Acid Monkey, a heavily alternative inspired album that was a major departure from the band's usual hard rock style.

The Bullet Boys would eventually re-form in 2000 and release a new album, Sophie in 2004. This album would feature vocal performances from former Skid Row lead singer Sebastian Bach.

Band Members
Marq Torien- Vocals
Mick Sweda- Guitar
Lonny Vencent- Bass
Jimmy D'Anda- Drums

Discography
Bullet Boys (1988)
Freakshow (1991)
Zaza (1993)
Acid Monkey (1995)
Burning Cats and Amputees (Greatest Hits) (2000)
Sophie (2004)

Journey is an American rock and roll band formed in 1973 in San Francisco.

The band has gone through several phases, including one dominated by former members of Santana. The band's greatest commercial success came with a series of power ballads such as "Open Arms", "Separate Ways", and "Faithfully".

Many credit the group's success with Steve Perry's vocals and Neal Schon's guitar work.

On January 21, 2005 Journey received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The band are currently working on a new studio album to be released in the summer of 2005.

Line-Up (past and present)
Neal Schon (also a member of Bad English, Hardline and Soul Sirkus)
Steve Perry
Jonathan Cain (also an original member of The Babys & Bad English)
Gregg Rolie (an original member of Santana)
Aynsley Dunbar
Deen Castronovo (also a member of Bad English)
George Tickner
Ross Valory
Randy Jackson (of American Idol fame)
Steve Augeri (also a member of Tall Stories and Tyketto)
Steve Smith
The group's current lineup is Augeri (vocals), Schon (guitar), Cain (keyboards), Valory (bass), and Castronovo (drums). Augeri is frequently mistaken for Steve Perry — they share the same first name, resemble each other physically, and have similar voices.

Discography
(These are all studio albums unless stated otherwise):

Journey (1975)
Look into the Future (1976)
Next (1977)
Infinity (1978)
Evolution (1979)
Departure (1980)
Dream After Dream (1980)
Captured (1981) Live
Escape (1981)
Frontiers (1983)
Raised on Radio (1986)
Greatest Hits (1988) (Greatest hits)
Time 3 (1992) Box set and live
Trial by Fire (1996)
Greatest Hits Live (1998) Live
Arrival (2001)
The Essential Journey (2001) (Greatest hits)
Journey 2001 (2001) (DVD of concert footage)
Red 13 (2002) EP
[edit]
Singles Discography
Of A Lifetime (1975)
In My Lonely Feeling (1975)
Mystery Mountain (1975)
Midnight Dreamer (1976)
On A Saturday Nite (1976)
I'm Gonna Leave You (1976)
Anyway (1976)
Look Into The Future (1977)
Spaceman (1977)
People (1977)
Nickel And Dime (1977)
I Would Find You (1977)
Wheel In The Sky (1978)
Anytime (1978)
Lights (1978)
Just The Same Way (1979)
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' (1979)
Lovin' You Is Easy (1979)
Too Late (1980)
Any Way You Want It (1980)
Walks Like A Lady (1980)
Good Morning Girl (1980)
Stay Awhile (1980)
Who's Cryin' Now (1981)
Don't Stop Believin' (1981)
Open Arms (1982)
Still They Ride (1982)
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (1982)
Faithfully (1983)
After The Fall (1983)
Send Her My Love (1983)
Chain Reaction (1984)
Be Good To Yourself (1986)
Suzanne (1986)
Girl Can't Help It (1986)
I'll Be Alright Without You (1987)
Why Can't This Night Go On Forever? (1987)
When You Love a Woman (1996)
Message of Love (1996)
Higher Place (2001)
All The Way (2001)