Music News & Notes

The Faces Reunion: More Than A One-Off

The Faces reunion in London on October 25 might not be just one show, as the band explains below:

The band are playing a charity event at the Royal Albert Hall, in aid of the PRS For Music Members Benevolent Fund and, says drummer Kenney Jones, more shows might happen.

“Don’t rule that out. We got together before Christmas last year to have a laugh and rehearse. And the intention then was do some special shows in 2009. But then our schedules got in the way. However, when the PRS [Performing Rights Society] asked if we’d pay at their 75th anniversary gig, we jumped at the chance, Especially, because the charity attached to this has done so much to help Ronnie’s family [this being late bassist Ronnie Lane, who died in 1997].”

Jones says he is proud of the way that The Faces have become such an enduring influence.

“It’s down to the great songs, I think. That’s what survived. And we always knew how to have fun as well. We enjoyed rock’n'roll!”

Apart form Lane, also missing at the Royal Albert Hall is frontman Rod Stewart. But he simply cannot get over to London.

“Rod was desperate to do it, but he’s got a lot of promotion for his new album in America, and has had to pass. But this is being done with his blessing.”

Joining Jones, guitarist Ronnie Wood and keyboard player Ian McLagan is former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, who’s played with the band before ["He's virtually become a regular member now"]. But who’ll be on vocals?

“That would be telling! We’ll have a few different ones. A mixture of our contemporaries and younger vocalists.”

Also billed to appear at the Royal Albert Hall gig are Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall, Spice Girl Mel C and Kiki Dee. Does this mean one or more of them will also step up to sing with The Faces? Who knows?

For further info, go to www.the-faces.com

=============================

Tom Waits New Music

This 2-CD set chronicles Waits' Glitter and Doom tour of the U.S. and Europe, drawing performances from the 17 tracks from ten different cities. The first CD carries the music tracks while the second CD is Tom's Tales, a 35-minute compilation of Waits' between song banter on a variety of subjects from the ritual of insects to the last dying breath of Henry Ford.

The music covers all eras of Waits' career and reinvents many of the songs with new rhythms and arrangements.