By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

When the Roppongi Rocks gang – Tony Dolan of Venom Inc, Kana Nagumo, Matt Ketchum of Kaala, Mack Suzuki of UDO Artists and Stefan Nilsson – returned to the Clubhouse audio app for the fourth episode of The Roppongi Rocks Clubhouse Sessions on Thursday 6th May, we got an earful of stories from Venom’s Demolition Years.

It was once again an up close and personal session of sweaty rock talk on your iPhone. Tony Dolan shared great Venom stories. Some people say that the Clubhouse audio app is all about FOMO: Fear of missing out. The live audio format means that either you hear it there and then or you miss out. If you didn’t listen live to Thursday’s session, you did miss out on some great rock’n’roll stories. How Tony’s band Atomkraft toured with Venom and Exodus in 1985. Tony being asked by Abaddon to replace Cronos as Venom’s frontman and how he brought Mantas back into the band. How the focus during The Demolition Years switched from image to music. How the reissues of “Prime Evil”, “Temples of Ice”, “The Waste Lands”, “Tear Your Soul Apart” and “Kissing the Beast” came about. What the guitarists Al Barnes and Steve White brought to the Venom sound and much more. You also missed out on our discussion about Venom Inc. How the core line-up of Venom’s Demolition Years reunited as Venom Inc. How Mantas wanted to avoid trouble by calling the band Iron & Steel. How Tony came up with the Venom Inc name. Why they ended up using a drum machine on the first Venom Inc album. What new drummer Jeramie Kling has brought to the band. Testament’s Chuck Billy’s role in Jeramie Kling replacing Abaddon. Details of the recording of the new album which will be released via Nuclear Blast around September. Why Nervosa got to tour with Venom Inc in Europe and that there is probably more to come from that bond between the bands. We also covered the reasons why major rock shows in Japan rarely have opening acts.

Is that enough FOMO for you? Join us next time for some sweaty rock talk on your iPhone. Live. Unedited. Raw.

#RoppongiRocksClubhouse #fomo #sweatyrocktalkonyouriphone

www.facebook.com/venomincofficial

The Roppongi Rocks Clubhouse Sessions, Episode #4: Venom – The Demolition Years with Tony Dolan

Thursday 6^th May at 8 pm Tokyo time / 12 noon London time

In the next episode of the Roppongi Rocks Clubhouse Sessions on the Clubhouse audio app, we will be doing a deep dive into British metal legends Venom and their so-called Demolition Years. In the late 1980s, Tony “The Demolition Man” Dolan, who had made a name for himself with Atomkraft, joined Venom as its new bassist and lead vocalist. Playing alongside founding members Mantas and Abaddon, Tony fronted the band for numerous tours and several releases: the studio albums “Prime Evil”, “Temples of Ice” and “The Waste Lands”, the EP “Tear Your Soul Apart” and the compilation album “Kissing the Beast”. In 2015, Tony, Mantas and Abaddon reunited as Venom Inc and in 2017 they released the fabulous album “Ave”. Now Venom’s Demolition Years are being celebrated with a range of special limited reissues of those releases in both vinyl and CD formats. In this special Clubhouse session, Tony will share stories from Venom’s Demolition years in the late 80s and early 90s. He will also discuss where the band is at with the next Venom Inc studio album featuring Tony, Mantas and drummer Jeramie Kling. Tony will be grilled by the usual Roppongi Rocks gang consisting of Stefan Nilsson, Kana Nagumo, Matt Ketchum and Mack Suzuki. It will be an intimate, unruly, uncensored and fun discussion. Join us for some sweaty rock talk on your iPhone. Live. Unedited. Raw.

#RoppongiRocksClubhouse

Event details here: https://www.joinclubhouse.com/event/PY4XaoDd

By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

The Roppongi Rocks gang once again invaded your iPhone on Thursday 15^th April for an episode focused on Black Sabbath with Diamond Head frontman Rasmus Bom Andersen as a special guest.

The third episode of The Roppongi Rocks Clubhouse Sessions – sweaty rock talk on your iPhone – was good fun, casual, nerdy and full of love for Black Sabbath. This time the usual suspects – Mack Suzuki of UDO Artists, Tony Dolan of Venom Inc, Matt Ketchum of Kaala, Kana Nagumo and Roppongi Rocks boss Stefan Nilsson – were joined by Diamond Head frontman Rasmus Bom Andersen. It was a lively and unruly discussion about Black Sabbath, the godfathers of heavy metal and the things they have influenced. A lot of ground was covered in this episode, including Sabbath’s influence on the NWOBHM movement and metal in general, how Diamond Head was inspired by Sabbath to build a signature sound around riffs, Sabbath’s Japan tours, the infamous Stonehenge stage set used during Sabbath’s 1983 “Born Again” European tour (with Diamond Head as opening act), Sabbath’s ten different vocalists (including Dave Walker of Fleetwood Mac) and much more. Sabbatonero, the all-star Black Sabbath tribute project which is Tony Dolan’s baby and where Rasmus Bom Andersen is one of the guest vocalists, was also discussed. In addition to stories around how the terrific “L’Uomo Di Ferro” album came about, there were also hints at possible Sabbatonero live dates or even a Sabbatonero festival being considered.

The Roppongi Rocks gang will be back on Clubhouse for more sweaty rock talk on your iPhone. Tune in or miss out!

#RoppongiRocksClubhouse

The Roppongi Rocks Clubhouse Sessions, Episode #3: A Black Sabbath Special with Diamond Head’s Rasmus Bom Andersen and Venom Inc’s Tony Dolan

Thursday 15^th April at 8 pm Tokyo time / 12 noon London time

Roppongi Rocks is back on Clubhouse for more sweaty rock talk on your iPhone. Join us on the Clubhouse audio app for a lively and unruly discussion about Black Sabbath, the godfathers of heavy metal and the things they have influenced. This time Diamond Head frontman Rasmus Bom Andersen will join the usual Roppongi Rocks Clubhouse gang: British metal legend Tony Dolan of Venom Inc, Mack Suzuki of UDO Artists, Matt Ketchum of Kaala, music industry executive Kana Nagumo and Roppongi Rocks boss Stefan Nilsson. Both Tony and Rasmus are currently involved in Sabbatonero, an international tribute to Black Sabbath. The proceeds from Sabbatonero’s all-star album “L’Uomo Di Ferro” will go to COVID workers in Italy.

In this Clubhouse session we will get really nerdy and discuss facts and opinions as well as personal anecdotes about the mighty Black Sabbath. It will get out of control and be live and uncensored. Join us live or miss out on all the juicy stuff.

#RoppongiRocksClubhouse

Event details here: https://www.joinclubhouse.com/event/m7Aw8EWx

By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

When the Roppongi Rocks gang returned to Clubhouse for another session of sweaty rock talk on your iPhone, the listeners got treated to more than an hour of inside stories of the good, the bad and the ugly of the rock star tour life.

Oh, my! The second episode of The Roppongi Rocks Clubhouse Sessions – sweaty rock talk on your iPhone – was as fun as the first one. On Friday 26^th March, Mack Suzuki of UDO Artists, Tony Dolan of Venom Inc, Matt Ketchum of Kaala, Kana Nagumo and Roppongi Rocks boss Stefan Nilsson shared first-hand stories from what happens on tour. They say that FOMO, or fear of missing out, is one of the strong driving forces behind the initial success of the audio app Clubhouse. It’s live, audio-only, no recording, by invitation only and only available on iPhone. Well, if you weren’t tuned in to the second episode of The Roppongi Rocks Clubhouse Sessions, you did miss out. The focus of the discussion was on what’s going on during tours. Crazy things tend to happen when international rock stars come to Japan. They say that what happens on tour stays on tour. Well, not necessarily. We sure did cover some great stories and, no they won’t be repeated here (FOMO, remember?), but just to tease you, there were anecdotes about Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Queen, Warrant, Venom Inc, Elton John and many more. Sex, drugs and rock’n’roll? Yes (including several stories taking place on shinkansen bullet trains), but also stories about panic buying new underwear, finding a Godzilla-shaped cigarette lighter, vinyl shopping and much more.

The Roppongi Rocks gang will be back on Clubhouse for more off-the-record stories from the music industry. Tune in or miss out!

The Roppongi Rocks Clubhouse Sessions, Episode #2: The Inside Scoop on International Rock Stars Touring Japan with Mack Suzuki of UDO Artists

Friday 26^th March at 8 pm Tokyo time / 11 am London time

Yay! Roppongi Rocks is back on Clubhouse for more sweaty rock talk on your iPhone. Join us on the Clubhouse iPhone audio app on Friday 26^th March for an informal discussion about rock-star life on the road in Japan. Japanese music industry executive Mack Suzuki (of UDO Artists) has been working with many international and Japanese rock acts over the years. Join us for a casual and informal chat about what happens with rock stars on tour in Japan. The good, the bad and the ugly of the rock star tour life! British metal legend Tony Dolan of Venom Inc. will add some stories from his Japan tours. Roppongi Rocks’ Stefan Nilsson and Kana Nagumo will also be joined by Matt Ketchum of Kaala. What happens on tour, stays on tour. Or? Join us or forever live in fear of missing out. Audio only. Live only. No recording. Tune in or miss out. Sweaty rock talk on your iPhone. www.joinclubhouse.com/event/PNb7qpXK

By Stefan Nilsson, Roppongi Rocks

Swedish singer LG Petrov has died at the age of 49. The legendary death metal artist passed away on Sunday 7^th March after having battled an incurable form of cancer since last year.

In his few years on Earth, LG Petrov managed to make a big impression. Already as a teenager, he was playing the drums with legendary cult act Morbid, which also featured future Mayhem vocalist Dead and Uffe Cederlund (later in Nihilist and Entombed). After Morbid, LG fronted Nihilist, a band that eventually morphed into Entombed. Entombed’s 1990 debut album “Left Hand Path” established them as one of the leading Scandinavian death metal acts. The band’s signature buzz-saw guitar sound combined with LG’s brutal vocals put them on the map. During his career, LG sang on an album with Comecon and was also a member of Firespawn. In 2014, he formed Entombed A.D. together with fellow ex-Entombed members Nico Elgstrand, Victor Brandt and Olle Dahlstedt.

RIP, LG Petrov.

Yes, the rumours are true! Roppongi Rocks will host a series of exclusive talk sessions on the iPhone audio app Clubhouse. It’s one of those new apps that are so exclusive that barely anyone’s on it yet. These sessions are audio-only and are not recorded. Eiter you listen when they are on or you miss out.

Roppongi Rocks Clubhouse Sessions – #1: The Future of Heavy Metal with Venom legend Tony Dolan on Thursday 4th March at 8:00pm Tokyo time / 11:00am London time

Join us on the Clubhouse iPhone audio app for an informal discussion on the future of the heavy metal music industry. British heavy metal legend Tony Dolan of Venom Inc talks with Roppongi Rocks’ Stefan Nilsson and Kana Nagumo and Matt Ketchum of Kaala, Japan’s extreme music underground scene. We will discuss business models, revenue streams, the return of live shows and tours, recorded music vs live music, brand extensions and much more. https://www.joinclubhouse.com/event/PQ4ZQ2pj

Marty Friedman and his notorious Japanese band (Marty Friedman and Naoki Morioka on guitars, Toshiki Oomomo on bass and Chargeeeeee!! on drums) will roar through his most fiery material, from his concert staples to the explosive tunes from his new “Tokyo Jukebox 3” album. The live concert will take place in a daring new multi-dimensional visual atmosphere designed specifically for this one show, by legendary motion graphics creator, Nobuyuki Hanabusa. Start 2021 off on New Year’s Day with this inspiring live performance, which is sure to overflow with aggressive energy and exceedingly positive vibes!

元旦に配信ライブ開催！ももクロのスーパーアリーナ飛び入り参加の時ぶり、画像アーティスト／演出家の花房伸行さんと再会して強烈な環境でゴリゴリ元旦ライブを行います。TOKYO JUKEBOXシリーズの曲がメインで皆知ってる曲ばっかりをやりますが、楽しいサプライズが多い。絶対元気が出る。ぜひ参加してください。

More info and tickets can be found here!