The Week In Rock: March 1st – 8th

3/1 Green Day Disses VP Vance

Green Day kicks off the Australian leg of their “Saviors” tour in Melbourne where frontman Billie Joe Armstrong makes a key lyric change to “Jesus of Suburbia.” The song’s original line is ” am I retarded or just overjoyed.” Armstong alters it to “am I retarded or am I just JD Vance.” The swipe at Vance comes one day after he and President Donald Trump bushwacked the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, as he was seeking aid to fight the Russian invasion of his country.

3/1 Badfinger Guitarist Passes Away

Joey Molland, the Badfinger guitarist/singer, dies after battling multiple health issues for several months. He was 77.

Badfinger is known for the songs “No Matter What,” “Day After Day,” “Come And Get It” and “Baby Blue” (which was heard during the final moments of Breaking Bad).

Signed by The Beatles Apple Records, Molland and his bandmates contributed to John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr solo recordings.

3/2 Mick Jagger Presents The Original Song Oscar

The Rolling Stones singer is in Hollywood for the Academy Awards presentation.

He jokes that he wasn’t the Academy’s first choice. It was Bob Dylan. But they ultimately wanted someone younger, so Mick stepped in.

With the Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” up for numerous Oscars, the Academy did invite Dylan to perform and present an award, but he declined.

3/5 Keith Richards Is Honored

The Rolling Stones guitarist and long-time Connecticut residence receives the Governor’s Award of Excellence from Governor Ned Lamont. Richards has kept a home in the state since 1985.

3/5 Guitarist Brian James Dies

Brian James, founding member of The Damned and The Lords Of The New Church. dies at age 70.

James left The Damned in the late ’70s following the release of their second album. He recorded three albums in the early ’80s with The Lords Of The New Church.

3/6 Nickelback Returns To The Top

“The Best Of Nickelback: Volume 1” is #1 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart. The set advances from #2 to #1, earning its fourth turn leading the survey.

“Volume 1” was released in 2013 to coincide with Nickelback’s “The Hits Tour.”

3/7 Spiritbox Deliver “Tsunami Sea”

Singer Courtney LaPlante (pictured above) confirms that “Tsunami Sea,” the band’s sophomore full-length effort, is a concept album. “Every record we make is a concept album, but we don’t market it like that normally. I like to show not tell,”

The set contains lead single “Soft Spine“and the follow-up “Perfect Soul.”

3/7 “Satanic Rites Of The Wildhearts” Drops

 “The songs on ‘Satanic Rites…’ were written during a period of transition, from extremely negative to positive,” reflected Ginger (David Walls).

“I realized how much control I have over my mental health, and the songs came from that understanding.”

3/7 Guitarist Brent Hinds Exists Mastodon

Mastodon announce, in a social media post, that the band and Hinds “mutually decided to part ways.”

The post goes on to say, “We’re deeply proud of and beyond grateful for the music and history we’ve shared and we wish him nothing but success and happiness in his future endeavors.”

Hinds was a founding member of Mastodon, joining in 2000.

3/8 Falling in Revers Return To The Top Of Mainstream Rock

Falling In Reverse score their fourth #1 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with “Bad Guy,” featuring professional wrestler Saraya-Jade (pictured).

She dated Falling In Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke for six years.