Coming Up In 2008

So what does 2008 hold in store for the Classic Rock fan?

Confirmed (more or less)

The early part of 2008 promises quite a lot; confirmed releases include the long awaited release on DVD of Iron Maiden’s Live After Death along with a host of extras including Part 2 of The History of Iron Maiden (UK release date 04-02-08). The ever-dependable Bryan Adams releases his eleventh studio album ‘11’ on 23-02-08 whilst a double disk live offering from Magnum ‘Wings Of Heaven Live’ is scheduled for the 25th. A new Metallica album (by all accounts an improvement on the much maligned St. Anger) is also threatened for February.


Spring/Summer sees the release of a Dream Theater Best Of collection (expected in March), a much-anticipated Whitesnake album ‘Good To Be Bad’ (due in May) and ‘Songs From The Sparkle Lounge’, the latest offering from Def Leppard. Also scheduled for release in the first part of 2008 is ‘Chris Rea Presents The Return Of The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes’ a musical book with 80 pages, vinyl records and three CD’s - the story of a late fifties guitar instrumental band (The Delmonts) that evolved into a 60’s blues band (The Hofner Blue Notes). The accompanying tour winds its way to Belfast in April –what we can expect from both the album and tour is anyone’s guess.

Official announcements for post-Summer releases are few and far between with only the release of a 15th studio album from Marillion currently on the radar for late Summer/early Autumn whilst Rush have promised a ‘Snakes and Arrows Tour’ DVD and ‘Rush: The Documentary’ for late 2008.

Strongly Rumoured

Guns 'N Roses will surely release ‘Chinese Democracy’ at some stage, but who would wager any money on it being this year? Rumours also abound of a new offering from AC/DC, but the much-mooted January release date looks unlikely. Heaven & Hell/Black Sabbath have announced work on new album but it would be late 2008 at the earliest before this is likely to surface. A summer 2008 release is whispered for a new Jethro Tull album whilst strong rumours persist that a new album by The Police is in the making, with a release date scheduled for Autumn 2008. Apparently material for the new album has already been brought together, and will be recorded throughout 2008. This would be combined with the release of a best of live DVD of the 2007-2008 world tour.

The strongest possibility is that a new Queen & Paul Rodgers album will see the light of day in the coming year. Paul Rodgers himself confirmed in the summer of 2007 that 9 tracks were in the can and that additional studio time was booked for Oct 07. A release in 2008 looks highly likely. Also highly probable is a DVD of the Ahmet Etregun Tribute Concert – including the Led Zep reunion.


Wishful Thinking

Dave Lee Roth has proclaimed loudly (does he do anything else?) that Van Halen will record a new album upon completion of their current tour. However, even if they can stay on speaking terms until then, the tour rolls on until April 08 at the earliest so an album release in 2008 seems unlikely. Similarly unlikely to tear themselves from a highly profitable touring schedule are Aerosmith – although Steve Tyler and the boys allegedly entered the studio in November of last year.

Tours

World Tours abound in 2008 but sadly dates in Belfast (or even Dublin) look unlikely. Amongst those hitting the road are;

Iron Maiden with their massive ‘Somewhere Back In Time Tour’
The second leg of Rush’s Snakes and Arrows Tour (with strong rumours that at least one show will be filmed by an IMAX crew!)
Queen & Paul Rodgers
Bruce Springsteen (three Dublin dates already sold out)
Neil Young
Foo Fighters

Will Led Zeppelin tour? Who knows? ‘Percy’ Plant is off touting his C&W album with Alison Krauss until late summer but this does just leave the door open for a Glastonbury appearance – time will tell!