Music
Former Whitesnake Guitarist Bernie Marsden Dead at 72
Bernie Marsden, the original guitarist for the English hard rock band Whitesnake, died “peacefully” on August 24, according to his family’s social media statement. He was 72. Marsden was most known for his four-year stint with Whitesnake, which began in 1978 and concluded in 1982.
David Coverdale, the leader of Whitesnake, paid tribute to his former bandmate and co-writer on social media. “I’ve just woken up to the awful news that my old friend and former Snake Bernie Marsden has passed,” he wrote.
“My heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to his cherished family, friends, and fans.” A genuinely amusing, talented man with whom I was honoured to share the stage.”
Marsden, who was born on May 7, 1951, in Buckingham, England, cut his teeth in many British rock bands during his teens and early twenties.
In the early 1970s, he briefly worked with UFO and Cosy Powell’s Hammer before joining Paice Ashton Lord, which included Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice and organist Jon Lord.
Marsden appears on the band’s sole studio album, Malice in Wonderland, released in 1977.
The next year, Marsden formed Whitesnake with Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple after a three-year stay. He appeared on their first five studio albums, from 1980’s Saints & Sinners through 1982’s Saints & Sinners, as well as the 1980 live album Live… in the Heart of the City.
Most notably, Marsden and Coverdale collaborated on Saints & Sinners’ “Here I Go Again,” which went on to become a chart-topping hit upon its rerelease in 1987.
Marsden quit Whitesnake during the recording of Saints & Sinners because Coverdale was cleaning house due to financial, managerial, and familial issues.
Alaska was his first band, and he later rejoined with ex-Whitesnake guitarist Micky Moody in the Moody Marsden Band and the Snakes. Marsden has also recorded a continuous stream of solo albums and has appeared on numerous other records throughout the years.
Marsden eventually reconciled with Coverdale and included him on a rendition of Whitesnake’s “Trouble” on his 2014 album Shine. In a 2015 interview with UCR, the guitarist reflected on Whitesnake’s turbulent early days.
“Two albums every year.” “When I look at it now, I wonder, ‘How did we do that?'” he remarked. “There comes a time when you have to say, ‘We’ve got to take a break,’ and Saints & Sinners was that time.”
The more work they piled on us, instead of bringing us closer together, it kind of broke us apart. So what is truly beneficial to you may end up hurting you. But by that point, we’d had a terrific time.”
Whitesnake Rock Band
Whitesnake is a British rock band formed in 1978 by former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale. The band is known for its hard rock and glam metal style, often characterized by catchy melodies, powerful vocals, and memorable guitar riffs. Whitesnake gained significant popularity in the 1980s with a string of successful albums and hit singles.
Some of Whitesnake’s most famous songs include:
- “Here I Go Again” – This song is one of their signature tracks and became a massive hit, reaching the top of the charts in the US in 1987.
- “Is This Love” – Another highly successful single that showcases their melodic hard rock sound.
- “Still of the Night” – Known for its bluesy guitar riffs and powerful vocals, this song is often considered one of Whitesnake’s best.
- “Love Ain’t No Stranger” – A track that captures the band’s blend of rock and blues influences.
- “Fool for Your Loving” – Originally released in the late 1970s, the song was re-recorded in the 1980s with a more polished sound and gained renewed popularity.
Whitesnake’s lineup has changed over the years, but the band’s founder and lead vocalist, David Coverdale, has remained a constant presence. The band’s music has gone through various phases, from blues rock to the more commercial sound they embraced in the 1980s. They’ve released numerous albums over the years, with varying levels of success, and have maintained a dedicated fan base.
Keywords: whitesnake 2019, whitesnake Bernie Marsden, whitesnake David Coverdale
Read: Tina Turner, The Queen Of Rock &Roll Dies At 83
Music
Oasis Fans Upset By High Prices And Long Delays On Ticketmaster Site
When British rock band Oasis announced a reunion tour this week, there was an expected rush for tickets to the 17 shows. Perhaps predictably, there have been concerns and frustrations about the ticket-buying process due to high demand.
Tickets went on general sale on Saturday at 9 a.m. GMT, and it took a little while for social media users to start complaining about inflated prices, long wait times, and error warnings from ticketing company Ticketmaster.
Oasis | CNN Image
Oasis Fans Upset By High Prices And Long Delays On Ticketmaster Site
“‘In demand standing ticket’ is just a standard standing ticket except double the price,” Darragh Moriarty, a Dublin city councilor, wrote on X (previously known as Twitter).
Moriarty also shared a screenshot in his article displaying an In Demand Standing Ticket with fees priced at €415.50 ($459.61).
“To clarify, Ticketmaster does not set ticket prices,” a spokeswoman told CNN on Saturday.
Ticketmaster’s official website states: “Promoters and artists set ticket prices.” Prices may be fixed or market-based. Market-based tickets are identified as ‘Platinum’ or ‘In Demand.'”
Stephen Lowell of London stated on X that he had waited five hours for tickets only to receive the notification, “Your session has been suspended.”
“The website did not crash,” a Ticketmaster official told CNN on Saturday.
Oasis will begin their tour on July 4 with performances in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin. Ticketmaster’s website states that the tour “will be one of the biggest live moments and hottest tickets of the decade.”
Oasis | New Yorker Image
Oasis Fans Upset By High Prices And Long Delays On Ticketmaster Site
A presale went live for those who got an email confirming their access. Oasis warned on its Instagram page that tickets would “be allocated on a first come, first served basis” and that “success in the ballot will not guarantee tickets.”
Buyers have frequently expressed dissatisfaction with purchasing tickets for large concert events. In November 2022, Ticketmaster and its parent firm, Live Nation Entertainment, faced public scrutiny for how they handled the enormously popular Taylor Swift Eras Tour.
SOURE | CNN
Music
American Rapper Macklemore Says He Canceled Dubai Show Over UAE Arming Sudan Paramilitary Forces
DUBAI, UAE — Macklemore, an American rapper, has canceled an impending October show in Dubai due to the UAE’s suspected support for the paramilitary army fighting government soldiers in Sudan.
Macklemore’s revelation focused on the UAE’s participation in the conflict gripping the African nation. While the UAE has frequently denied providing the Rapid Support Forces and assisting their leader, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, UN specialists reported “credible” evidence in January that the Emirates transferred weaponry to the RSF multiple times per week from northern Chad.
Sudan descended into anarchy in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary commanders flared up in the capital, Khartoum, and extended to other regions, especially Darfur. According to estimates, over 18,800 people have died in the conflict, and more than 10 million have fled their homes. Hundreds of thousands face hunger.
American Rapper Macklemore Says He Canceled Dubai Show Over UAE Arming Sudan Paramilitary Forces
At a tense U.N. Security Council meeting in June, Sudan’s fragile government accused the UAE of supporting the RSF, prompting an Emirati diplomat to tell his counterpart to cease “grandstanding.” The UAE has participated in continuing peace efforts to halt the fighting.
The Emirati Foreign Ministry and Dubai Media Office had no immediate comment on Macklemore’s public remark Sunday. Last week, organizers said that the performance had been canceled and that refunds would be paid, but they did not explain why.
In a Saturday Instagram post, Grammy winner Macklemore claimed he had a series of people “asking me to cancel the show in solidarity with the people of Sudan and to boycott doing business in the UAE for the role they are playing in the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis.”
Macklemore claimed he reconsidered the concert in part because of his previous outspoken support for Palestinians during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. He recently began performing a song called “Hind’s Hall,” in memory of Hind Rajab, a young girl slain in Gaza in a shooting that Palestinians blamed on Israeli forces opening fire on a civilian car.
“I know that this will probably jeopardise my future shows in the area, and I truly hate letting any of my fans down,” he said. “I was also quite excited. But, until the UAE stops arming and funding the RSF, I will not perform there.”
He said, “I have no judgement against other artists who perform in the UAE.” But I do ask my peers who are slated to perform in Dubai: “What could we achieve if we used our platforms to mobilise collective liberation?”
The RSF was founded by Janjaweed fighters under former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who governed the country for three decades before being deposed in a popular rebellion in 2019. The International Criminal Court wants him on charges of genocide and other crimes committed during the Darfur conflict in the 2000s.
American Rapper Macklemore Says He Canceled Dubai Show Over UAE Arming Sudan Paramilitary Forces
Dubai, home to long-haul carrier Emirates, the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, and other tourist attractions, has long attempted to attract A-list musicians to the city-state’s new stadium and other venues. However, performers have already highlighted the difficulty of performing in the UAE, a hereditarily administered federation of seven sheikhdoms where speech is strictly regulated.
That includes American comedian Dave Chappelle, who made headlines in Abu Dhabi in May when he referred to the Israel-Hamas conflict as a “genocide” while simultaneously mocking the UAE’s extensive surveillance infrastructure.
Macklemore, a 41-year-old rapper born Benjamin Hammond Haggerty in Kent, Washington, received a Grammy Award in 2014 for his breakout single “Thrift Shop.”
SOURCE | AP
Music
Coldplay Covers Taylor Swift At Vienna Stadium Where Her Eras Tour Shows Were Canceled Due To Foiled Terror Plot
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin is offering some love to Taylor Swift fans in Austria.
On Wednesday, the band played the first of four concerts at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium, where Martin and vocalist Maggie Rogers sang an acoustic interpretation of Swift’s 2008 song “Love Story.”
According to social media videos, Martin invited “two genuine Swifties” on stage to perform the song alongside Rogers.
Coldplay Covers Taylor Swift At Vienna Stadium Where Her Eras Tour Shows Were Canceled Due To Foiled Terror Plot
“We sing this song with so much love for Taylor and the Swifties,” Martin told the audience.
Coldplay appears to be the first major act to headline a show at the Austrian stadium since a foiled terror attack plot forced organizers to cancel three of Swift’s Eras Tour gigs earlier this month.
Swift was set to begin her three-show run on August 9 when Austrian authorities reported that they had foiled an ISIS-inspired plot to target one of her gigs.
“The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, as well as a tremendous amount of guilt, because so many people had planned to attend those shows,” Swift wrote in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. “But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.”
Regarding safety measures for Coldplay concertgoers attending this week’s gigs, Live Nation GSA issued a news release on X outlining the venue’s safety plan.
Coldplay Covers Taylor Swift At Vienna Stadium Where Her Eras Tour Shows Were Canceled Due To Foiled Terror Plot
“The well-being of all attendees, artists, and staff is our top priority and, as always, Ernst-Happel-Stadion is coordinating with local authorities and partners in the lead-up to the concerts, to ensure the safety of everyone on site,” said the press release.
Coldplay is slated to perform three additional performances in Vienna on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
SOURCE | CNN
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