Monday means a rundown. This one starts with a death and ends with William Shatner making a metal album, so buckle up.
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Tommy DeCarlo, Boston's Unlikely Voice, Dies at 60
Tommy DeCarlo died today from brain cancer. He was 60, diagnosed in September, and fought until the end. What makes the story worth telling twice: DeCarlo was a Home Depot credit manager with no band experience when Tom Scholz's wife accidentally found him covering "Don't Look Back" on the internet in 2008. Scholz thought it was a live Boston recording. It wasn't. DeCarlo joined the band, toured extensively, and Scholz would later say the band had never performed better. He and original singer Brad Delp both died on March 9. Some dates carry weight.
Primus Are Coming Back to the UK and Europe
For the first time since 2015, Les Claypool is bringing Primus across the Atlantic. Twelve dates this summer across Italy, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and four UK stops — Manchester Academy, Glasgow Barrowland, and London's O2 Forum among them. The run closes August 21 at ArcTanGent Festival in Bristol, billed as "An Evening With." Tickets are on sale now.
Alice Cooper Is Writing His Life Story
Shock rock's godfather is going memoir. Devil on My Shoulder lands October 8 and promises to dig into the gap between Vincent Furnier — sober, religious, golf obsessive — and the character who ate birds onstage. Cooper is pairing the release with an eight-city UK Q&A tour. Six decades in and he still has more to say.
William Shatner Is Making a Heavy Metal Album
Not a gimmick, apparently. At 94, William Shatner has announced a full heavy metal record featuring roughly 35 collaborators including Zakk Wylde, Ritchie Blackmore, and Henry Rollins. The album will include originals alongside reinterpretations of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden material. No release date confirmed. Given that Shatner's spoken-word catalog includes records with Ben Folds and Billy Sherwood, this is less absurd than it sounds.
Chad Gray Adds More Solo Dates
The Mudvayne and Hellyeah frontman is adding more spring 2026 solo shows to his calendar. No full itinerary yet, but Gray has been increasingly active on his own since Mudvayne's reunion cycle wound down. Watch for announcements this week.
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