Today in Rock History – June 12

Are you ready to learn some stuff? It’s June 12th and here’s what happened Today in Rock History!

It’s a great day for releases, as we got Take Off Your Pants and Jacket from Blink-182

We also got Liam Gallagher’s MTV Unplugged album and Megadeth’s debut record, Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!

It’s also a great day for birthdays too! We have Pete Farndon of The Pretenders, John Gourley of Portugal. The Man, Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick and Brad Delp of Boston!

In 2019, Radiohead pissed off blackmailers who were demanding over $150,000 for session tapes recorded during the making of their classic album OK Computer by just releasing the tapes in full on the Internet. Profits made from the sessions went to climate crisis activists Extinction Rebellion. Take that hackers!

In 2009, the Beastie Boys perform together for the final time at that year’s Bonnaroo festival. Shortly after, Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch would be diagnosed with cancer.

In 2005, Pink Floyd announced that they would reunite with former bandmate, bassist Roger Waters for a one off appearance at the Live 8 London concert that July. The concert would be the first time the band had played together as a quartet since 1981’s The Wall tour.

While performing at a Foo Fighters show in Sweden in 2015, Dave Grohl falls off stage and breaks his leg. Dave would later come back to finish the show with someone propping up his leg. The band’s European tour was cancelled but resumes their tour in Washington D.C. with Grohl performing on a custom-made guitar throne.

The No Nukes Concert takes place at Central Park in NYC in 1982. It would become the largest political rally in US history with a crowd of 750,000 people attending to see performances from acts like The Doobie Brothers and Bruce Springsteen.

And finally in 1966, Steven Tallarico is arrested and charged with drug possession after buying pot from an undercover cop who was posing as a student at his high school. Tallarico is given a year’s probation and labelled a “Youthful Offender”. Now you’re probably asking, “Who the hell is Steven Tallarico?” Well Tallarico would go on to form this little band called Aerosmith and eventually change his name to what we all know him as today: Steven Tyler.

This has been Today in Rock History! Keep on Rocking, keep on Rolling! Check back tomorrow for your next rock history lesson!