Have You Heard? Ryan Bingham, Vans Warped Tour, AC/DC’s Cliff Williams

Shows scheduled for Sept. 3-7 are no longer on Ryan Bingham’s calendar following the artist’s casting in an “epic frontier movie.”  Bingham was originally scheduled to play Knitting Factory establishments in Boise and Spokane, Sept. 3 & 4, respectively.  Also gone from the routing are Bingham’s first two shows with The Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon – Roseland Theatre in Portland, Ore., Sept. 6 and the Moore Theatre in Seattle Sept. 7.  According to Seattle Theatre Group’s website, Fallon will play Seattle’s Neptune Theatre Sept. 7.  However, fans holding

“Sincere apologies to the fans who already bought tickets to our shows in Boise, Spokane, Portand and Seattle,” Bingham said in a statement.  “I am excited to be reuniting with Scott Cooper (director of “Crazy Heart”) for his epic frontier movie “Hostiles” with Christian Bale and due to the an unforeseen scheduling conflict with this project, I have to cancel the first four shows of our fall tour.  I am sad to miss these shows and I will make sure to be back to make them up in the future.  Thank you for understanding and for your continued support.”

Fans looking forward to seeing the Vans Warped Tour when the mega-package pulls into Phoenix next month will have to wait a couple of days.  The original Aug. 2 playdate at the Westside Complex has been moved to Aug. 4.

Turns out a show planned for Phoenix’s Ak-Chin Pavilion Aug. 2 is the reason for the change of plans.

“Unfortunately Vans Warped Tour and Panic! At The Disco & Weezer were scheduled on the same day in Phoenix this year,” Warped founder Kevin Lyman said in a posting on the tour’s website.  “We have heard from many people who wanted to go to both shows, so we have been able to reschedule our Warped date to Thursday, August 4th.”

But Lyman is doing more than moving the date.  Fans who bring their Panic! At The Disco / Weezer tickets to the box office on Aug. 4 can purchase Warped tickets for only $35.  Follow this link for more information.

Reminding us that rock ’n’ roll news can come from the most unexpected sources, word of AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams retiring comes to us from Gulf Shore Life, a publication that proudly proclaims that it has “captured the vibrant spirit, style and natural beauty of Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast.”

In an article titled “Still Rockin’ in Southwest Florida,” writer Jonathan Foerster takes a look at the top rockers who call the area home.  Along with former Bad Company singer Brian Howe and drummer Steve Luongo, Foerster profiled Williams, who lives with his wife in the Fort Myers area. 

A member of AC/DC since 1977, Williams describes the Australian band’s first tour bus as “an old piece of junk” and says it was driven by “a seriously overweight good ole boy who called himself ‘Jesse James.’” It turns out James liked to gab on CB radio and would erroneously announce that he was driving “AC/DC outta England.”  Ah … good times for sure.

But it’s talk about retirement that’s getting the lion’s share of notice.  Various changes in the band are cited for Williams wanting to enjoy some time off, including singer Brian Johnson’s recent exit, guitarist Malcom Young’s 2014 departure due to dementia and cancer, and a New Zealand judge sentencing Phil Rudd to an eight-month home detention in 2015 stretch after the drummer pleaded guilty to a charge that he had threatened the life of a man who once worked for him.

“It’s been what I’ve known for the past 40 years, but after this tour I’m backing off of touring and recording,” Williams told Gulf Shore Life.  “Losing Malcolm, the thing with Phil and now with Brian, it’s a changed animal.  I feel in my gut it’s the right thing.”