LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (SBD), A Troubling New Woods of Ypres Video, And Bret Michaels Health Updates!!

Well guys, here's another packed post for today on the SMS! Some potentially troublesome news, along with some more optimistic stuff, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!

SBD, the new experimental hard rock project from No Arrow's Dann Pichette and Brad Griffith, are playing live for the first time ever next weekend! Also featuring former Chintzy Slicks drummer Shane Triplett, they'll be headlining at Foggy Notions on May 7th along with openers The Fury, and if you know The Fury well, you'll know they have an unconventional sound themselves! This should be one of the more unique shows of 2010 so far, don't go expecting No Arrow 2.0, this is a different animal! Admission is $3, a start time of 10:00 PM is listed. SBD are saying that this is a "rare public performance", but who knows what the future will hold! They're also hyping "CD giveaways", "drunken debauchery", and "sonic experimentation" on the Facebook event page, and who doesn't love all that? Should be an interesting show, if nothing else, and it will sure be nice to see Dann on stage again, I miss No Arrow, but SBD have promise! I'll keep you posted if I hear more!

Now onto a story that, depending on your interpretation, could be very devastating, and though nothing is right out "said", it sure doesn't sound very positive. Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold has posted a new video onto his YouTube channel, and here's what it details. David is shutting down Krankenhaus Records (his independent label) and it's mail-order distribution portion at the end of August, and as a result, David is selling off remaining Woods of Ypres merchandise and albums, including all back copies of the band's four studio albums, including, and I quote, "our latest and last album, Woods IV: The Green Album." The albums are, until the end of August, available in a special package deal for just $40 with shipping included. Only about 100 copies of each album are left in stock with the band, with no re-pressing of the albums anticipated for the future. Woods of Ypres merchandise is also still on sale, and David says in the video that if you've always wanted a Woods t-shirt, this is your last chance. He also mentions that he will make one last trip to Canada Post to mail the last orders at the end of August "before I go". After thanking fans worldwide for support, it concludes with "Everything I Touch Turns To Gold (Then To Coal)" from "Woods IV". Check it out below.



Lists of currently available merchandise can be found at this location. So if you want to get Woods of Ypres CDs or merchandise before this apparent deadline, e-mail your orders with PayPal to woodsofypres@hotmail.com, or send a mail order to:

David Gold
44 Poplar Ave.
Sault Ste. Marie, ON
P6B 2W7
Canada

Now upon watching this video, though an act of finality isn't explicitly stated, David's statements in the video sure don't scream of a "positive future for the band", so to speak. It sounds like, to a casual listener, that the band are breaking up or ending. I don't know about that though. For one thing, I assumed Krankenhaus was already an inactive entity, as "Woods IV" was released under the label name Practical Art Records. And if the band was ending, then it must have been decided in the last two weeks, because when looking at the band's updates on Facebook, David was talking about writing new riffs for "Woods V" as recently as April 11th. Also, if there is a breakup imminent, it's not happening this month or next, as the band have a Western Canada tour scheduled in June, with no signs on that tour's press materials that the band has a shaky future. Plus, they were, at least early this month, planning possible tours for Eastern Canada and the United States. A lot of fans, and rightfully so, are openly disappointed at what this video could mean. Here's what I'm interpreting out of it: After August comes a new chapter for David Gold's musical career. From what I've seen, an absolute finite end to Woods of Ypres seems too abrupt and out of left field. I think he's taking the band in a new direction, far away from what we've experienced from 2002-2010. That being said, the video doesn't suggest a positive band future either, David looks disappointed throughout and there's a lot of talk of "last" and "final" and so on. I just hope David stays in music in some fashion, cause he's a gifted musician and songwriter, and I've enjoyed all of his projects on differing levels! I'll keep you guys posted as I hear more, keep your fingers crossed that an absolute end isn't drawing near.

Now let's move from the less encouraging to a story that definitely seems more encouraging! It of course details the health of Poison frontman Bret Michaels, and if you're still holding out hope that he'll be rocking Kewadin Casino with Vince Neil in July, this should be music to your ears! According to his representatives in a posting on Bret's MySpace page, tour dates of his will only be postponed or rescheduled up to May 21st at this time, and plans are being made to resume his touring schedule on May 26th in Arkansas, assuming treatment for his brain hemorrhage goes according to schedule with no further complications. So basically, as long as things continue to improve, Bret's staffers think he should be here in July! Honestly, if I was working for Bret, I wouldn't be planning and scheduling shows so quickly, I'd wanna wait and see how he felt and when he could perform to the best of his ability. We'll have to see though.

So with that in mind, you'd have to assume that his condition is already improving, and you would be correct on that front! Bret's been upgraded to stable condition at what has now been confirmed as a neurology center in Arizona, though the absolute specific location hasn't been announced. The cause of his hemorrhage still has not been determined, and he apparently was suffering from seizures the other day due to sodium deficiency. However, he is conscious and in good spirits, so that's a good sign! Reports I've read have mentioned that the hemorrhage he suffered could have been fatal, so he's extremely lucky already! I'll keep you posted as I hear more on Bret's condition and the Kewadin Casino 25th Anniversary Summer Festival! Get well soon Bret! Also, just in case you follow it, he is still on The Celebrity Apprentice, which was pre-taped save for the finale. Check sources for my findings, and new news articles, below:

Guitarist For BRET MICHAELS' Solo Band: BRET Is 'A Survivor'
BRET MICHAELS' Dad Says Rocker Is 'Good But a Little Slow'
Report: BRET MICHAELS Being Treated At Neurology Center In Arizona
BRET MICHAELS' Health May Affect 'The Celebrity Apprentice' Finale
BRET MICHAELS' Representatives Are Hopeful Tour Can Resume Late Next Month

Bret Michaels Suffers 'Minor Setback'

That will about cover it for today, tomorrow will feature previews of this weekend's local concerts, and some assorted news from Lion Ride and Bring The Fallen, and hopefully more! Stay tuned!