Prior News

Prior News & Reviews

May 2006

May 31, 2006 more photos from Robby's Saturday night appearance <> John's music to stop world feuds <> John not likely to reunite with Robby and Ray <> and still more photos of Robby
Three more photos from Robby Krieger's guest performance last Saturday night as part of the Uli Jon Roth & Friends show have been added to that page. Photos credits have been added, and I've learned the name of the keyboard player is Ferdi (thanks, Dave) see all photos

"John Densmore Plans To Stop World Feuds Through Music" is the headline of a bunch of similar on-line stories over the last few days. According to the stories and in conjunction with John's forthcoming musical appearance in Washington D.C. with Iranian musician Reza Derakshani, he hopes that the musical conversation with encourage the politicians to talk to each other. read story

In more John news, a recent statement would seem to dash any hopes that he would reunite with Robby and Ray to observe the band's 40th anniversary. read statement

Five more photos from Robby Krieger's guest performance last Saturday night as part of the Uli Jon Roth & Friends show have been added to that page. The latest additions are at the top of the stack, if you have already looked at all the others. (thanks, Dave) see all photos

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May 30, 2006 Ty Dennis is a new father <> photos from Robby's Saturday night appearance
Congratulations to Ty Dennis and his wife Sondra. They became the proud parents of a baby boy last Thursday, May 25th. Noah Colin Dennis weighed in at 7 lbs. 11 oz. Ty is drummer for Riders On The Storm and before that, The Doors of the 21st Century and the Robby Krieger Band. He also plays in his own band, Three From None. Visit Ty's website at: http://www.tydennis.com/ The photo gallery on his website contains lots of tour photos, including a great page of backstage passes from over the years. Check it out.

Robby Krieger was a guest performer Saturday night on the UCLA campus. This was the last of 3 nights of Uli Jon Roth & Friends shows in the Ralph Freud Theater with a long list of guest performers. Robby performed three songs, accompanied by Dave Waterbury of Spirit on bass and Evan Marshall of the Evan Marshall Band on vocals. Three photos from that performance have been sent to me. (thanks, Dawg) see photos

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May 29, 2006 Ray performs this weekend <> another lawsuit?? <> book about great rock performances <> more about Fresno club lawsuit
Ray Manzarek will perform along with slide guitarist Roy Rogers and Jeffrey Luck Lucas this Saturday, June 3rd at The Attic in Santa Cruz, California. For more show information, visit: www.theatticsantacruz.com

The Doors and relatives of Jim Morrison have filed a lawsuit against the owner of Club Fred in Fresno, California. According to the story, the lawsuit claims the club played copyrighted Doors songs without permission. The suit is asking between $750. to $30,000. for each of the songs played without permission. This seems bizarre, given the tribute bands, bar bands, karaoke, mash-ups, and cover bands that proliferate. The venue's website shows a tribute band called The Double Doors playing there on July 3rd! If I get any more information about this strange story, I'll post an updated news item.

"I Was There: Gigs That Changed The World" is a book by Mark Paytress that came out in September 2005 from Cassell Illustrated. The book is described as the definitive guide to over 100 of the greatest live performances. The Doors connection is that the Roundhouse concerts in London in September 1968 are included, as well as the Isle of Wight Festival event in September 1970, with lots of photos to accompany the accounts. (thanks, David my son) see book info

Another on-line news story about the lawsuit mentioned above, provides more information. It seems that the owner is being sued for having four songs by The Doors on its jukebox without permission. Now, the earlier story makes more sense. An attorney for ASCAP said the owner ignored letters and other efforts to settle the matter. The club could play the music legally by paying a fee of less than $1,500. read story

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May 28, 2006 Robby guest performer last night <> photos of Paris apartment
Robby Krieger was a guest performer last night at MacGowan Hall on the UCLA campus. This was the last of 3 nights of Uli Jon Roth & Friends shows in the Ralph Freud Theater. There was a long list of guest performers who I had never heard of ... but that was okay, my friend Beverly and I were there to see Robby! The other musicians were very good and the rest of the audience in the small 600-seat theater certainly knew who they were and knew the songs. Nevertheless, when Robby was announced and took the stage at 9:25, it was the first time all evening that a huge section of the audience rose to their feet to cheer. Besides Uli Jon Roth and the musicians he was playing with, Robby was accompanied by Dave Waterbury of Spirit on bass, and a vocalist who Robby introduced as Evan Marshall. Their 30-minute set started with 'Riders On The Storm,' then 'Roadhouse Blues' with an audience sing-along, and finally, 'L.A. Woman.' The audience was on their feet again cheering Robby when his set ended. We managed to catch him at the stage door during intermission for a conversation. Since there was not going to be an all-star finale, Robby was preparing to leave and so did we!

17, rue Beautreillis is the address of the 3rd floor apartment in Paris where Jim and Pam lived, and where Jim died. The apartment was renovated about 10 years ago. Photos were taken by the man who owned the restaurant across the street from the apartment building and were recently sent to me by friends in Europe. (thanks, Gilles and Jochen) see photos

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May 27, 2006 John & Reza touring with Tribaljazz
John Densmore and Iranian musician Reza Derakshani are going out on tour in June, as reported yesterday. The Webmaster at www.johndensmore.com has provided me with the full press release, which reveals that some of the band members from Tribaljazz will also be part of the tour. The press release contains information about what the program will include, such as poetry readings. It sounds like additional touring is planned. (thanks, Jim S.) read press release

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May 26, 2006 Robby guest performer tomorrow night <> John & Reza going on tour <> Robby with Particle last weekend
Robby Krieger will be a guest performer tomorrow night at UCLA's Ralph Freud Theater (MacGowan Hall). It's the last night of an event called the Sky Academy Concerts with Uli Jon Roth & Friends. The concert will be at least 3 hours long and include an intermission (phew). Some of the other guest musicians slated to appear tonight and tomorrow night are from bands such as Megadeth, Ratt, Spirit, Alice Cooper, Heart, Kiss, The Firm, Scorpions, and more. (thanks, Dawg)

John Densmore and Iranian musician Reza Derakshani will perform at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage in Washington D.C. on June 14th. John and Reza are then heading north to Canada and will perform in Toronto on June 16th and in Montreal on June 17th. To watch their Hen House Studios documentary video clip, go to: http://www.henhousestudios.com/artists/mkpgartist.php?artistID=1120

Robby Krieger made a surprise guest appearance last weekend at the Joshua Tree Music Festival in the southern California desert. According to a story about the festival on JamBase.com (which includes a photo of Robby at the show): "One of the biggest musical surprises of the weekend was the unannounced appearance of former Doors guitarist Robby Krieger, who took the stage with the tripped-out, abstract jam sounds of Particle for an extended late night set. The percussive rhythms and driving guitar licks kept the crowd bumping, swinging, and twirling non-stop through the weekend." read full story

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May 25, 2006 Angelo Barbera band dates this weekend <> Robby talks to his fans
Angelo Barbera (former bassist for Robby Krieger Band and The Doors of the 21st Century) and his current band, i-94, will play 4 acoustic sets this coming weekend at Live at the Lounge at 1018 Hermosa Avenue in Hermosa Beach, California. The Friday and Saturday shows are in the evening, and Sunday and Monday are afternoon shows. See calendar dates below for set times. For more information, go to the band's tour dates page on their website at: http://www.i94music.com/

Robby Krieger answered some questions from fans on his Forum last night. In one reply he stated that he is currently working on a new project loosely based on "Sketches of Spain" by Miles Davis, with Art Barrow co-producing. Robby mentioned the songs that Riders On The Storm have recorded, but indicated that they would have to wait to see what happens with the lawsuit before they finish it. My personal favorite post by Robby was in response to a fan who asked Robby why he hasn't written a biography. Robby's priceless reply was: "I don't want to get into trouble. I think I'll wait 'till everyone dies!" Hopefully Robby will begin to visit his Forum on a regular basis and talk to the fans. To go to the 'Robby Talks To You' section on his website's Forum, go to: http://forum.robbykrieger.com/index.php?s=ad397916352f308be55c960208385604&showforum=21

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May 24, 2006 photo slideshow on Robby's site <> The Cult on Canada TV
Riders On The Storm may be off the road and taking a breather while Ian Astbury tours with The Cult these days ... but you can still get a great fix of memories to re-live over at http://robbykrieger.com/riders/riders.html. An extensive slideshow of concert photos from all over the world is playing there. Hint: some of the photos show Angelo Barbera on bass, so many of the shots used are from the eras of The Doors of the 21st Century and D21C. Check it out!

Ian Astbury and The Cult will perform this Friday, May 26 on MTV Live in Canada. For tickets to the show at 888 Younge Street, Toronto, Ontario, call: (416) 355-3979 or (1-800) 491-6888, or send an email to: liveaudience@mtv.ca (thanks, Steven)

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May 21, 2006 Doors movie on magazine DVD list <> Philharmonic does The Doors <> "Laurel Canyon" book
Oliver Stone's movie "The Doors" is ranked at #11 in a listing of the Best Rock DVDs of All Time, according to the June/July issue of Giant Magazine. "Spinal Tap" topped that list at #1. (thanks, Beverly)

The music of The Doors was performed last night by the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra at the Embassy Theatre in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In a write-up about the event, The Doors manager Jeff Jampol was quoted about upcoming projects. Near the end of the story, he talks about ideas under consideration for the Las Vegas casino show. read it

"Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock-and-Roll's Legendary Neighborhood" from Michael Walker was released several weeks ago. The book chronicles the canyon's decadent musical menagerie as it came to be defined by the rock royalty that lived there -- members of the Doors, the Byrds, the Mamas & the Papas, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Frank Zappa and Joni Mitchell, and many others. To read a lengthy story about the book and the tales it tells, go here

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May 20, 2006 Robby at festival today <> Tribaljazz story <> photog Jack Rosen died <> Benvenuto update
Robby Krieger is going to appear today (Saturday) at the Joshua Tree Music Festival in the southern California desert. According to the website, Particle is on the bill, so it's possible that Robby's appearance will be with them ... but I'm just guessing at that, I don't know for sure. For information about the event, go to their website at: http://www.joshuatreemusicfestival.com/index.htm

John Densmore and Tribaljazz are the subjects of a story in the current issue of The Argonaut, a free paper that covers the coastal vicinity of L.A. including Venice Beach, where Tribaljazz performs this weekend. read story

Photographer Jack Rosen has passed away at the age of 83 in New Hope, Pennsylvania. According to his obit, Mr. Rosen's son says there are "well over half a million negatives that have never seen the light of day." So, who knows what may surface someday. To see the Jim Morrison photos from 1967, go to his website at: http://www.rosenphotos.com/ To read the entire obituary notice, go here

Benvenuto Cafe, the Italian restaurant at 8512 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood in the building that once housed The Doors office and rehearsal space, will re-open for business late next week after months of renovations, just in time for Memorial Day weekend. For new photos of the progress, go here

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May 18, 2006 John in UCLA seminar <> Tribaljazz website in the works <> 'Strange Days' remix
John Densmore will participate in an evening seminar on June 5th in conjunction with the UCLA Arts and Healing and the UCLA Pediatric Pain Program. The event is called "Awaken Your Intuition for Health, Healing and Creativity." For a complete write-up on the event, go to: www.johndensmore.com/awaken.html

John Densmore's band Tribaljazz will soon have its own website at www.tribaljazz.com The site is not yet live on-line, so stay tuned for that news once John's webmaster makes the announcement.

Thievery Corporation has released 'Versions,' described as the ultimate collection of their remixes. Included is their remix of "Strange Days." You can sample it on Amazon.com's website. Of course, everyone reading this knows that "Versions" is the title of a 1982 Robby Krieger release (containing an amazing instrumental version of Crystal Ship.)

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May 17, 2006 Bonham's auction <> music to strip by <> Benvenuto re-opens next week
Bonham's in Hollywood has a Billboard #1 award plaque for The Doors "Light My Fire," week ending July 29, 1967 on auction on June 25th. The award is encased in laminate with wood. Bonham's estimate is that this item will sell for between $6,000. and $9,000. see auction item

'Back Door Man' was named #7 in a list of the 10 best songs to strip to in a book called "Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper" by Diablo Cody. The author is a freelance journalist who spent a year as a stripper. As the fan who sent me this item said, this may be an unconventional honor ... but given that The Doors used to frequent a topless bar near their office, it just seems fitting! (thanks, Lynne)

Benvenuto Cafe, the Italian restaurant at 8512 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood in the building that once housed The Doors office and rehearsal space, re-opens for business next week after months of renovations. On Friday of this week I'll have the exact re-opening date, as well as some new photos.

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May 16, 2006 Vince Treanor talks to the fans <> signed contract on eBay <> Angelo Barbera gig this weekend
Former Doors Road Manager Vince Treanor is answering fans' questions and participating in the forum on a terrific fan site at: http://thefreedomman.com/forum/ The section is called "Vince Treanor's Q&A's. Be sure to check it out and take the opportunity to talk to Vince. (thanks, Ed)

A recording contract signed by all members of The Doors and Jac Holzman in 1970 is on eBay, item #7620152445. The Buy It Now price is $9,999.00.

Angelo Barbera (former bassist for Robby Krieger Band and The Doors of the 21st Century) and his current band, i-94, will play an industry showcase this Friday night at Molly Malone's in Hollywood. For more information, go to the band's website at: http://www.i94music.com/

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May 15, 2006 ebay auction <> Jim Morrison check for sale
A current eBay auction is offering what is claimed to be a sterling silver & teak cross necklace once owned by Jim Morrison. I am in no way connected with the seller or this auction. This item is being mentioned because there isn't much Doors news lately, and it might be an item of interest to some fan with disposable income. The auction ends Tuesday afternoon. To see the item, search eBay for Item #7618466102 (thanks, Mike)

A Jim Morrison signed check is coming up for auction at Bonham's in Knightsbridge in June. It is sale #13576, Lot 463.

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May 14, 2006 John on LA radio on Monday <> happy birthday to Ian
John Densmore will be an in-studio guest tomorrow morning, May 15th, on L.A.'s KPFK 90.7 FM on the Global Village program from 10am to 11am. in an hour about jazz drummers. For more info, go to: http://www.kpfk.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1682&Itemid=79&lang=en

A happy birthday shout-out to Ian Astbury, who turns 44 today. In recent months, Ian has been focusing on touring with his band, The Cult. For the latest news on The Cult, visit their official website at: www.thecult.us

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May 11, 2006 The Cult summer tour <> John in DVD release
Ian Astbury has a busy summer lined up touring with The Cult. According to www.Pollstar.com, they are going to be on tour in Canada in late May. In early June The Cult will be in Europe for a week, and then back for a big festival near San Diego. In late June The Cult return to Europe for shows that are booked, so far, through mid-July. Fans of Riders On The Storm will probably have a long dry spell without any shows, at least for the next few months. For the latest news on The Cult, visit their official website at: www.thecult.us

Never-before-seen footage of John Densmore and others can be seen in the June 13th release of "Dead Man Walking" Legacy edition. read press release

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May 9, 2006 Madrid photos <> John on NAMMY nominated CD <> Jim in Pittsburgh
Riders On The Storm played Madrid, Spain on April 20th. Some wonderful photos from that show can be found by going to http://raymanzarek.thedoors.com/madrid06/madrid.html

John Densmore is featured on Keith Secola's recording of "Native Americana," one of the leading nominees for this year's Native American Music Awards. The NAMMY awards will be presented to winners June 8 at the Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. read more

Jim Morrison is the dominant figure in Nico's Coffee Cove in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A mural under the heading "Morrison Hotel" greets visitors there, but he is not the only dead rock star who is honored there. The Pittsburgh Tribune ran a column. read it

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May 6, 2006 Rolling Stone's 1,000th issue
The 1000th issue of Rolling Stone magazine is out with a really interesting 3-D cover that contains scads of famous faces ... think the Sgt. Pepper's album cover, times ten! Yes, Jim's face is in the collage ...you'll find it! The issue focuses on the 100 greatest covers they did. On page 142, the "He's hot, he's sexy and he's dead" issue from September 17, 1981 was identified as the most famous cover in Rolling Stone history. read about it

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May 5, 2006 The Doors on "Off The Record"
"Off The Record" with Joe Benson will feature the music of The Doors and more of Joe's conversations with Ray, Robby, and John on Sunday, May 28. Go to http://unclejoe.com/xotr.html for a listing of the cities and stations that carry this nationally syndicated show.

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May 4, 2006 Benvenuto update <> 'Rapture Riders' producer
Benvenuto Cafe, the Italian restaurant that occupies the former Doors office and rehearsal space at 8512 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, is a week and a half from its grand re-opening. Today the concrete was being poured for the dining patio. The support beams for the upstairs lounge patio are in place, and that flooring will be completed next week. The exterior of the building has been repainted a dark red. After the patio work is completed, the new staircase for the right side of the building, which will be the main entrance to upstairs, will be installed. Stay tuned for more updates. see today's photos

Mark Vidler is the British music producer behind the 'Rapture Riders' mash-up. An interview appears in the Christian Science Monitor in which he discusses his mash-ups. read it

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May 3, 2006 John on the radio
John Densmore was Jim Ladd's in-studio guest tonight on KLOS 95.5 FM for more than an hour. John took several phone calls from listeners. Most of the interview was about "Window Of Opportunity," the play currently running in Hollywood at the Met Theatre that John co-produced. Contrary to a report a few days ago about a May release, it sounds like there is still no release date for the Tribaljazz album. John said it should be released sometime this year, and that Tribaljazz will be touring late summer, early fall.

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May 2, 2006 The Cult on TV last night <> John on radio Wednesday night <> John to walk red carpet <> The Bobs do The Doors
Ian Astbury and The Cult performed last night on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live show on the outside Pontiac Stage. There were two songs performed: '(She Sells) Sanctuary' was played in full, and then a partial 'Phoenix' as the show's credits rolled.

John Densmore will be an in-studio guest of L.A. deejay Jim Ladd on KLOS 95.5 FM tomorrow night, May 3rd. The mention of it I heard this morning says John will be stopping by at about 10:30 p.m. and will be discussing the play "Window Of Opportunity" that he co-produced and is currently running in Hollywood, as well as lots of other topics. Unfortunately, the show is not streamed on-line.

John Densmore will be one of the 'celebrity guests' expected on the red carpet tomorrow night in Hollywood. The event is the world premiere of a live show called "Royal Jelly" by Ivan Kane. I guess he'll be heading to the KLOS studio right after the show for his interview with Jim Ladd (see above). By strange coincidence, several members of The Cult are also expected on the red carpet. read press release

"Light My Fire" was performed by The Bobs in a unique manner recently at the Barclay Theater in Irvine, California. According to the on-line story, the band set the lyrics to a 16th-century madrigal. read story

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May 1, 2006 'Order of Distinction' DVD order info <> The Cult on Jimmy Kimmel Show <> Ray quoted in Sunday L.A. Times
Robby Krieger and Phil Chen played on a DVD filmed last April in L.A., a musical tribute to Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin. Phil was also Musical Director on the project which included many other guest artists. read April 2005 Press Release. The Collectors Edition package is now available for ordering through AIX Records at: http://www.aixrecords.com/catalog/ernest_ranglin.html (thanks, George)

Ian Astbury and The Cult will perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight on ABC. The show is broadcast at 12:06 a.m. until 1:06 a.m. (west coast time). The musical guests perform during the last segment of the show, and usually get to play a second number as the credits begin to roll. For more info, go to: http://abc.go.com/primetime/jimmykimmel/index.html

Ray Manzarek was quoted in this week's Sunday L. A. Times. In an interesting special section about L.A., there was a column called "The view from 30,000 feet" .. You're flying into Los Angeles, you look out the window, what do you see?" Ray was one of ten people of note whose answers appear. Ray's quote was: "That sun! About to extinguish itself in the azure. Low, golden rays backlighting the City of Angels / City of Night. Eventide at the end of the continent -- the end point of Western Civilization -- and I'm diving in from 35,000 feet, coming hard from the Big Apple into the Big Orange, and it's all golden. And out of the corner of my eye, nose-pressed against my window-seat glass, I can just barely glimpse the fluttering wings of Spanish angels hovering over their city. And I am flying into the sun. Home!" Ray Manzarek, Keyboardist for The Doors

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