Are you ready to learn some stuff? It’s May 30th and here’s what happened Today in Rock History!
Starting off strong as it’s Tom Morello’s birthday!
Other birthdays include Klaus Floride of Dead Kennedys, Topper Headon of The Clash and Brett Anderson of The Donnas!
Releases today include: Don’t Believe the Truth from Oasis in 2005, Living in the Material World from George Harrison in 1973 and Amnesiac by Radiohead in 2001
We also got The Rolling Stones’ England’s Newest Hit Makers in 1964, Too Low for Zero from Elton John in 1983, Live at Max’s Kansas City from the Velvet Underground in 1972 and Europe’s The Final Countdown in 1986!
In 1994, Metallica begins their “S–t Hits the Sheds” tour. Supporting them are Danzig, Suicidal Tendencies and Candlebox. Alice in Chains were originally supposed to be an opening act, but dropped out due to singer Layne Staley’s drug problem.
Sticking with tours now as in 1987, David Bowie began his 87-date Glass Spider tour in Holland! Fun fact about this tour: The set, described at the time as the “largest touring set ever,” was designed to look like a giant spider (hence the name). Standing 60 feet high and 64 feet wide, it included giant vacuumed tube legs lit with 20,000 lights sitting inside it. Just one set took 43(!!!) trucks to move it venue to venue.
Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne got into a legal battle over royalty payments in 2009. Osbourne accused Iommi of falsely claiming to own the sole rights to the band’s name, which had cost Ozzy royalties from merch sales. Iommi countered saying that Osbourne relinquished the rights to the Sabbath name in the 80s.
And finally in 2007, the White Stripes new album Icky Thump was leaked and had its entirety played on a Chicago radio station. The station Q101-WKQX then received a phone call from band member Jack White, who was touring in Spain at the time, to voice his displeasure.
This has been Today in Rock History! Keep on Rocking, keep on Rolling! Check back tomorrow for your next rock history lesson!
