Rock History

2024 – Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the artists who perform during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in a musical handover to the 2028 Games in L.A (LA28). The performances in L.A. have each artist representing a different facet of the city’s cultural heritage. RHCP play “Can’t Stop” from their eighth studio set, “By The Way” (’02)

1970 – The trial of Doors singer Jim Morrison begins. He faces numerous charges (lewd and obscene behavior) resulting from a ’69 Miami concert. Morrison is found guilty but files an appeal which is still pending at the time of the singer’s death less than a year later.

1986 – Queen headlines the Knebworth Park Festival in England. It turns out to be singer Freddie Mercury’s last performance with the band.

2004 – The perfect crime goes awry. Dave Matthews Band’s tour bus dumps human feces from a bridge, intending to unload it into the toxic Chicago River – who’d notice? Somewhat humorously, DMB’s waste lands on a tour boat. The bus driver and the band are sued by the state of Illinois.

2023 – Corey Taylor (Slipknot/Stone Sour) speaks out about mental health during an interview.  “I would tell my 18-year-old self that it’s going to be okay, because no one ever f*cking told me that. And anyone who needs to hear that, right now, listen to me. It is going to be okay, no matter what is going on, it is all temporary.” 

2024 – The MTV Video Music nominations in the Best Rock category are: Green Day – “Dilemma,” Bon Jovi – “Legendary,” Kings Of Leon – “Mustang,” Lenny Kravitz – “Human” and U2 – “Atomic City.” Kravitz goes on to win.

2006 – Hundreds of KISS fans, some in full face paint, protest outside the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, demanding that the band, eligible for ten years, be inducted.  According to a Rock Hall rep, the half-hour demonstration is the first of its kind.

2005 – Slipknot doesn’t get it their way. They threaten Burger King with legal action over an advertising campaign that features a mock mask-wearing Metal group. As expected, Burger King claims the campaign does not violate Slipknot’s trademark rights. All legal action is eventually dropped.

2023 – Greta Van Fleet’s “Starcatcher” is #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock, Top Hard Rock and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts.

2016 – Queensryche guitarist Michael Wilton endorses Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Sort of.  “You know, I’m kind of disappointed in both of ’em (Trump and Hillary Clinton), but if I had to choose the leader of the world, I think I’d probably want Trump.”