Journey back on tour (still); Steve Perry back on the radio

Journey is still on its never-ending tour following their comeback Revelations album and hiring of singer Arnel Pineda.

A bunch of new dates have been added, including several in Florida (but none in Tampa Bay.) So local fans here will have to travel to Orlando for the Sept. 23 show at the Amway Arena. Opening for Journey is ... Night Ranger, marking at least the third time this year they've played Central Florida. For all I know, they're set up right now outside my apartment, reading to serenade me with Sister Christian on the way to work.

More interesting Journey news: Their former, iconic singer Steve Perry is being interviewed this week by the CBC, Canada's radio network, for a story on the enduring popularity of Don't Stop Believing. Also being interviewed: Yep, some schlep named Steve Spears of Stuck in the '80s. Supposedly, Perry will hear what I've said about the legendary hit song and react to it during the interview. And I wonder why I haven't been able to sleep for days now.

Hopefully I'll have an audio clip to post later this week. And yes, of course, I'm going to try to get Perry on the Stuck in the '80s podcast. Trouble is that I only have about 300 or so questions to ask him!

[Publicity photo]

Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan is hurt ... again

Guess which '80s band just canceled their last two European dates due to injury? Depeche Mode fans, you better have your hands high in air -- per usual.

Singer Dave Gahan, who was sidelined earlier in the tour with a bladder tumor, now has torn a calf muscle. Doctors have told him to stay off his leg and rest, according to theinsider.com.

At this point, we should mention that Gahan is 47 years old, not 67 years old, and is a singer, not a pole vaulter. So this is another mind-boggling injury.

Depeche Mode's North American tour is set to start July 24 in Toronto and includes a Sept. 4 date at Tampa's Ford Amphitheatre. If you're planning on attending, make sure to bring a wheelchair for Dave ... just in case.

By the way, if you're still on the fence as to buying tickets, here's the Depeche Mode set list for the 2009 tour so far, according to their official website. It looks fantastic:

• In Chains
• Wrong
• Hole To Feed
• Walking In My Shoes
• It's No Good
• A Question Of Time
• Precious
• Fly On The Windscreen
• Jezebel
• A Question Of Lust
• Come Back
• Peace
• In Your Room
• I Feel You
• In Sympathy
• Enjoy The Silence
• Never Let Me Down Again

Encore #1

• Stripped
• Master And Servant
• Strangelove

Encore #2

• Personal Jesus
• Waiting For The Night (Bare Version)

[AP photo]

'80s overload? Never! REO Speedwagon, Styx, Night Ranger coming to Tampa

REO Speedwagon, Styx and Night Ranger have just announced a show at Tampa's Ford Amphitheatre for Oct. 30. And yes, late October is a beautiful time of year for an outdoor show like that.

Tickets for the Can't Stop Rockin' 2009 tour go on sale this weekend and are priced at $59.50, $39.50, $29.50 and $19.50.  There is also a reserved seat 4-pack available for $60. This is being billed as a pavilion-only show, so I'm making an educated guess that this means no lawn seats are available?

And in case you're wonder, this will mark the second or third trip through Tampa Bay for both REO Speedwagon and Night Ranger in the last 18 months or so. Seriously guys, just move down here. The weather's nicer here and you can be regular co-hosts on the Stuck in the '80s podcast.

"Hey, hey, it's Steve Spears, your host, and with me as always, my three best friends ... Kevin Cronin, Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades. ... Sean Daly is manning the control board. We'll hear from him later on. Maybe."

Berlin, Terri Nunn are highlights after Week 1 of Regeneration Tour

Regeneration Tour 2009 has been on the road a week, and we have our first review from last night's stop in Chicago. Sorry I couldn't make it, but here's the full report from Chicago correspondent "Bassnote:"

The Regeneration Tour hit Chicago on Friday night without the big Stuck in the '80s gathering that had been planned. But that didn't stop it from being a fantastic show. All four bands (Cutting Crew, Wang Chung, Berlin and ABC) had stand out moments on stage, but one band out shined the others.

Cutting Crew was first. They were good, but didn't get the crowd on their feet until the last song of the set, a rousing version of "(I Just) Died In Your Arms."

Wang Chung started their six song set with a one-two punch of "Don't Let Go" and "Wait." The crowd danced and sang along to "Let's Go," and Jack Hues was happy to share the mic with them. A semi-acoustic "To Live And Die in L.A." kept us wanting more. They finished with another great one two punch of "Dance Hall Days" and "Everybody Have Fun Tonight." The latter song is much better live, and Jack Hues had fun teasing the crowd  with the line, "Can you tell me what Wang Chung means?" I personally wish they could have done more.

The highlight of the night came when Berlin hit the stage. It was lead singer Terri Nunn's 50th birthday, and she turned the set into a party. They had everyone on their feet from the first synth chords of "Masquerade." They quickly followed with a killer take on "No More Words." Nunn, in a sheer black dress, was absolutely radiant, and her voice was flawless. She came out into the crowd during a new song, "Ordinary Girl," and at one point was standing right next to me as she belted out a chorus.

Next she invited about 30 crowd members on stage to pogo with her as the band played "Dancing In Berlin." The band also did a hopped-up cover of Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love," and Nunn dedicated "Take My Breath Away" to Michael Jackson. Berlin closed the set with a steamy version of "Sex (I'm A...)," in which Nunn and the guitarist looked like they wanted to rip each others clothes off. I am now more of a fan than I was before the show

The energy had been so high during Berlin's set, that when ABC came on it was kind of a let down. Martin Fry was brilliant, and the band sounded great, but they just couldn't match Berlin's intensity. They provided the hits like "Poison Arrow" and "All Of My Heart," but did a lot of unfamiliar numbers that put the crowd in their chairs. They closed in strong fashion with "When Smokey Sings," "Be Near Me," and "The Look Of Love," and had the crowd wanting more, but were out of time.

All in all, it was a wonderful show, and I'd definitely see it again. Note: Berlin is not playing on all the dates, so if you have a chance to see one of the shows with them on the bill, run, don't walk to get tickets.

Yah mo better be there: Michael McDonald's calling us on Friday!

We've been begging for this interview for a long time. But Friday, Stuck in the '80s finally gets to chat with the great Michael McDonald. (Start humming Shine Sweet Freedom right now!)

Mr. Smooth Soul himself is playing Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall on July 2, and fans will no doubt be treated to a night of classics from his long career. But before he can start wooing the audience over, he's gonna take our questions first for next week's podcast.

He has a reputation for being a funny interview, so will he mind when I bring up the classic "Ya Mo B There" joke from 40-Year-Old Virgin? (Umm, as if he hasn't heard it enough.) We'll see.

In the meantime, feel free to suggest your own questions for him. And then tune in next week for the epic podcast

Relax! Frankie Goes to Hollywood to reunite!

Twenty-five years ago, the hysteria over Frankie Goes to Hollywood in Britain was considered second only to the Beatles. But the Liverpool-bred band self-destructed after just two albums in 1986.

British tabloids today say that the members of Frankie -- Holly Johnson, Paul Rutherford, Peter Gill, Mark O'Toole and Brian Nash -- have decided to reunite and tour in the UK after the success of a Virgin Atlantic ad that features their signature hit Relax.

Also in the works are a new best-of collection of their hits and possibly some new material.

"We're thrilled our adverts helped persuade Frankie Goes To Hollywood to make a comeback," Virgin Atlantic told the Mirror. " It's a great coup for us and 80s pop fans will be equally delighted."

FGTH has reunited and toured a few times over the last two decades, but never with the full, original lineup. In 2003, VH-1's Bands Reunited brought all the original guys back together for the final show of the season. But lead singer Holly Johnson was the lone dissenting voice in playing a short reunion concert.

The BBC must be going nuts with this reunion news. It was largely because they banned the playing of the sexually-encouraging Relax back in the '80s that Frankie caught everyone's attention in the first place. 

TOP 5 HIGHEST-CHARTING FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD SONGS:

5. RAGE HARD: "I don't know which way to go. My love's like driven snow. When we past the test of time, my love, you shall be mine." [Performance]

4. WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME: "I will give you diamonds by the shower, love your body even when its old." [Performance]

3. THE POWER OF LOVE: "When the chips are down I'll be around, with my undying, death-defying love for you." [Performance]

2. TWO TRIBES: "Are we living in a land where sex and horror are the new gods?" [Video]

1. RELAX: "Live those dreams. Scheme those schemes. ... Hit me with those laser beams" [Video]

We're in 'Heaven:' The Psychedelic Furs, Happy Mondays hit the road for fall U.S. tour

Here's a twin billing we thought we'd never live to see: The Psychedelic Furs and Happy Mondays are teaming up for a fall tour of North America.

The tour hits Tampa's Ritz Theatre in Ybor City on Sept. 28. According to our Soundcheck blog, tickets go on sale this Saturday. ($30 in advance; $32 at the door.)

The Psychedelic Furs formed in the late '70s in England but didn't really click on the charts until they hit the college radiowaves in the early '80s. Tunes like Love My Way, Heaven and The Ghost in You were all huge hits among the then-young and hip (now older and pudgier) crowd. Of course, everyone remembers their tune Pretty in Pink, which was re-recorded for the 1986 John Hughes movie. (I prefer the original version.) They broke up in the early '90s but have occasionally reunited for gigs here and there.

The Happy Mondays are the bigger surprise. They've never been fully appreciated over in the U.S. despite their excellent pedigree. The band was discovered during the "Madchester" years by Factory Record's Tony Wilson. If you need a tutorial on them, check out the excellent movie 24 Hour Party People. 

Here's the full list of tour dates:

Sept. 8: Chicago (House Of Blues)      
Sept. 9: Milwaukee (Pabst Theater)    
Sept. 11: Boulder, CO (Boulder Theater)    
Sept. 12: Salt Lake City, UT (In The Venue)    
Sept. 14: Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre)    
Sept. 15: Portland, OR (McMenamins Crystal Ballroom)    
Sept. 17: San Francisco, CA (The Regency Ballroom)    
Sept. 18: Los Angeles, CA (Club Nokia)    
Sept. 19: Anaheim, CA (House Of Blues)    
Sept. 20: San Diego, CA (House Of Blues)    
Sept. 22: Las Vegas, NV (House Of Blues)    
Sept. 24: Austin, TX (Stubb's Bar-B-Q / Waller Creek Amph.)    
Sept. 25: Dallas, TX (House Of Blues)    
Sept. 26: Houston, TX (House Of Blues)    
Sept. 28: Tampa, FL (The Ritz)    
Sept. 29: Fort Lauderdale, FL (Revolution)    
Sept. 30: Lake Buena Vista, FL (House Of Blues)    
Oct. 2: Atlanta, GA (The Masquerade)    
Oct. 3: Charlotte, NC (Amos' SouthEnd)    
Oct. 4: Norfolk, VA (NorVa)    
Oct. 6: Washington, DC (9:30 Club)    
Oct. 7: Philadelphia, PA (Trocadero Theatre)    
Oct. 9: New York, NY (Roseland Ballroom)    
Oct. 10: Boston, MA (House Of Blues)    
Oct. 12: Columbus, OH (Newport Music Hall)    
Oct. 13: Royal Oak, MI (Royal Oak Music Theatre)    
Oct. 14: Toronto, ON (Kool Haus)    
Oct. 14: Montreal, QC (Olympia de Montreal)

I'm all outta love ... but luckily Air Supply is coming to Tampa

I can say this with total honesty and a straight face: Nobody writes 'em like Air Supply anymore.

Soft-rockers Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock have been writing straight-to-the-point ballads since the late '70s and though their chart-topping days may have passed them by, they still hit the road every year and play to capacity crowds around the world.

That includes a stop on Aug. 21 at The Ritz Theatre in Tampa's Ybor City. Tickets will be between $55 and $125, but the top tier tickets reportedly include a bunch of VIP extras, including a meet-and-greet with the band. Sounds like a nice intimate venue for a show like this. (Check their official website for a gig closer to your home.)

Maybe we joke around about Air Supply a little too much these days. Exiled to adult contemporary radio in the mid-80s after a string of No. 1 hits, Air Supply and their franchise of plainly written but earnestly felt music wasn't in vogue anymore. They became an easy punchline, and wrongfully so. (The 2002 movie Van Wilder, with Ryan Reynolds, has a great Air Supply moment, and it's even funnier in Spanish -- it's the only version I could find. ) When did honesty and wearing your heart on your sleeve become a bad move? (Please. Don't answer that. I already know.)

So mock Air Supply if you want. Not me. I'm putting on their best-of CD (ummm ... and my headphones) and sulking in continued sorrow as the Saddest Week in Stuck in the '80s marches on.

TOP 5 SADDEST AIR SUPPLY SONGS:

5. WITHOUT YOU: "No, I can't forget this evening, or your face as you were leaving." [Video]

4. HERE I AM: "I've done everything I can to ease the pain. But only you can stop the rain." [Video]

3. THE ONE THAT YOU LOVE: "Must we end this way when so much here is hard to lose? Love is everywhere. I know it is." [Lyrics]

2. MAKING LOVE OUT OF NOTHING AT ALL: "I'm never gonna make it without you. Do you really want to see me crawl? And I'm never gonna make it like you do, making love out of nothing at all." [Video]

1. ALL OUT OF LOVE: "There's no easy way, it gets harder each day. Please love me or I'll be gone." [Video]

Pet Shop Boys' North American tour hits Tampa on Sept. 10

The Pet Shop Boys are not only coming to North America for a tour set to begin in August, but Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have a date Sept. 10 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Tickets go on sale June 12 at noon.

You could hear the squeals of joy when I discovered this just seconds ago. I can't recall the last time they came through the south. Let's just say it was before the Stuck in the '80s era began.

Here's the full list of dates:

Aug 29: Montreal (Metropoli)s
Sept 1: New York, NY (Hammerstein)
Sept 2: New York, NY (Hammerstein)
Sept 3: Washington, DC (Constitution Hall)
Sept 5: Boston, MA (House of Blues)
Sept 6: Atlantic City, (NJ House of Blues)
Sept 9: Miami, FL (Fillmore)
Sept 10: Tampa, FL (Tampa Bay PAC)
Sept 11: Orlando, FL (House of Blues)
Sept 12: Atlanta, GA (Chastain)
Sept 14: Chicago, IL (Chicago Theater)
Sept 15: Milwaukee, WI (Pabst Ballroom)
Sept 19: Vancouver, BC Vancouver (Centre of Performing Arts)
Sept 20: Seattle, WA (Moore)
Sept 22: San Francisco, CA (Warfield)
Sept 23: San Francisco, CA (Warfield)
Sept 24: Los Angeles, CA (Greek)
Sept 26: Las Vegas, NV (Joint)

Morrissey speaks: 'I've endured a titanic struggle against an intolerable virus'

Morrissey, who has postponed a slew of shows due to illness, reassured fans on Facebook that's all is well and that his tour is ready to resume. Here's the text of his message straight from his Facebook fan page:

I am very pleased to confirm that we will resume at Luxembourg this coming Friday (5 June), absorbed and collected. I have been reconstructed by a Wiltshire hospital and I am as close to good health as I'm likely to get.

I apologize to everyone caught up in the to-ing and fro-ing, but the disappointment of postponement is less than the disappointment of hearing me sing on one engine.

I should stress that nothing has been canceled. The four London concerts are repositioned in July, and both Birmingham and the Royal Albert Hall are October fixtures. I've endured a titanic struggle against an intolerable virus lately, and although Hull, Hartlepool and Manchester were nights that comprised a whole life, the physical limits were reached. False notes crush the soul.

Besides Luxembourg and beyond, I am excited about the October release of Swords, which is an 18-track compilation of b-sides of singles from the last three albums. This will be a Polydor release.

Thanks to everyone who bought 'Years of Refusal'. We were the number one seller in the UK for the week of release, but, as with 'You Are The Quarry' and 'Your Arsenal', we were booted off the number one spot on the last hour of the final day. We cried.

I would like to point out that some passable creature is using my name and sending sharply chiseled replies to people via Twitter, MySpace and Facebook. This person is not me. Not enough happens in my life that I would wish to share it with others. I do not scan these sites – or whatever they are - so I can only hope that whoever is posing as me is at least worth talking to. Beware of false imitations.

Thanks for reading these unvarnished facts, and thanks for giving us some greatly enjoyable nights on the Refusal tour.

Absolutely yours,
Morrissey