The Day in Rock Digest for 03/03/11: Slayer aren’t the only band to have suffered health problems during the Soundwave festival’s tour of Australia –Sum 41 have been forced to bow out of the remaining dates after frontman Deryck Whibley contracted severe pneumonia and has been hospitalized. moreAndrew Tijs of Undercover.fm reports that Rob Zombie is on board to direct the film version of Motley Crue's notorious memoir 'The Dirt'. 'The Dirt - Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band' was put together by the band and Neil Strauss and released in 2002, recounting the chaotic life of the band in the '80s and '90s. more
Rock News Desk had this Rumor: Alice Cooper has dismissed guitarist Kerri Kelly and drummer Jimmy Degrasso, and it’s thought they’ll be replaced by original band members Michael Bruce and Neal Smith. more
Mr Big bassist Billy Sheehan, who was a member of David Lee Roth’s solo band, says Van Halen are missing something without original member Michael Anthony more
Evergrey have announced that they will be performing their 2001 concept album, 'In Search Of Truth', in its entirety at the ProgPower USA XII kick-off show on September 15 in Atlanta, Georgia. more
Alkaline Trio co-vocalist Matt Skiba announced via his Twitter account that the band has wrapped up recording their new album. more
Nevermore will tour Europe with Dagna Barrera on bass. He’s standing in for Jim Sheppard, who is recovering from surgery to remove a benign brain tumor more
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers will celebrate Record Store Day on April 16 by re-releasing in limited editions their first two albums on 120-gram colored vinyl. more
Abigail Williams, Thulcandra, and Iskald will be touring Europe in May more
Black Label Society will publish a guitar book of latest album Order of the Black on March 14. Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett is also publishing a book based on his 1990s column in Guitar World magazine. more
After completely ruling out an Oasis reunion last month, former Oasis and current Beady Eye singer Liam Gallagher now says that a reunion isn't completely out of the question. more
China is reviewing an application from Bob Dylan to stage concerts in the country, a year after the American folk legend's planned concerts in Beijing and Shanghai were canceled, an official at the Ministry of Culture said Thursday more
Converge just announced that it will be reissuing the 12″ LP version of their Unloved And Weeded Out release. The compilation of unreleased tracks and live songs was initially released as 4×7″ set in the U.S. and a 12″ LP in Europe. more
Eyes Set To Kill has announced that it will be taking part in the upcoming 2011 edition of the Warped Tour more
Man The Change has launched a Kickstarter page to help finance a vinyl pressing of their new full-length Weather The Storm. more
Matt Belanger, better known as the trombone player in Paper + Plastick Records’ We Are The Union has officially parted ways with the band. more
On this day in 1973, Slade’s “Cum on Feel the Noize,” enters the U.K. singles chart at #1, making Slade the first act to achieve this since The Beatles. [10 years later Quiet Riot would be the first heavy metal band to score a No. 1 album in the U.S. fueled by their cover of the tune.]
On this day in 2003, Ray Jackson, who found fame with Lindisfarne, takes out legal action against Rod Stewart over his 1970s hit song “Maggie May.” Jackson claims he came up with the worldwide hit’s classic mandolin melody and claimed he may have lost at least £1m because he was not credited for the track’s distinctive hook. Jackson was paid just £15 for the recording session by Stewart in 1971. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here
