BY MELISSA RUGGIERI
What better way to kick off something called a “Classic Music Series” than with an Aerosmith concert?
"Aerosmith Rocks Donington 2014" will blast across movie theater screens nationwide at 7 p.m Thursday (tickets are $15 – check out the list of area theaters showing the concert film here ).
It's part of the Fathom Event special event showings ( much like Hall & Oates' last week ), but this "Classic Music Series" will be a monthly event with additional artists to be named soon.
But first on the docket are the boys from Beantown. Last week, Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford and Tom Hamilton chatted pleasantly with reporters about their memories of the concert, which features 19 of their hits, as well as some future plans for the band.
Q: How did the film come about?
A: (Hamilton): We had a film that came out a few years ago called "Rock for the Rising Sun" (from the band's 2011 tour of Japan following the earthquake and tsunami). We had never been on tour there and were very anxious to get over there and bring something for our fans after that horrible, major disaster that they had there. We filmed it. We were there with our fans. We made a DVD out of it. It was pretty successful, very encouraging in terms of finding out that kind of stuff that our fans would love to hear, shows that we think are really classic Aerosmith shows.
That was about a short tour. This was about one show. It's great. People who liked "Rock for the Rising Sun" will love this one. Hopefully you'll see it on Palladia. They'll be playing it. I think it's just going to be awesome. It's Donington.
Q: Could you elaborate on some of the elements that made the particular performance at Donington so magical?
A: (Hamilton) It's the set list that we played there, right Brad?
A: (Whitford) Yeah.
A: (Hamilton) It was just a night where everything just really set in for the band. The band was so tight that night, yet we could relax and just have fun. Get off on the insane crowd there. Man, remember that, Brad? Finish us up.
A: (Whitford) Donington always held a special place for bands of all types, just to be invited at Donington has always been special. It just had a magic about it. We were excited just to be there…It didn't dawn on us right away or we didn't plan right away that we were going to be making a film out of it. It's just ... to be able to capture that moment like we did was great because it does hold a special place for all us rock and rollers.
A: (Hamilton) We should mention that we had planned to film the show and got one of the best rock video film directors around, named Dick Carruthers. He's from England. He does a great job from that English point of view about rock bands. It's a neat thing as far as our history goes. Anyway, that's another reason that makes it a special DVD. It's a night in the tour, but it's also something that's really filmed and interpreted beautifully. The sound is awesome. The band played really well that night.
Q: The press release for the concert film mentions the mud and rain on the day of the show. Talk a little bit about what the atmosphere was like that day.
A: (Hamilton) Oh, man. One thing about Donington, every time we've been there, it's been probably the funkiest, most earthy audience-band situation on the tour. Usually the crowd has been there for a few days, and it's been raining guitars out. The last two times we played there, it rained all day long and into the opening act. Who was it? One of the opening acts is out there and it's raining. Then, we always seem to luck out and it stops raining to a reasonable amount. We're lucky that way.
The audience gets a particular aroma between the mud and the people who just felt it was too far to go to the porti-cans. Whatever bodily fluids were happening makes up the dirt. It's great. Oh my God. It smells like you're on a farm.
A: (Whitford) There's so many different bands on that show. Then the crowd is so appreciative of everything they hear. It's really an eclectic group of fans. They're there to hear it all. It's great because back where all the artists are, you see people you haven't seen in a year or two years, so many friends from other bands and stuff. It's a great little reunion as well. It makes it a lot of fun when you're up on stage and all these guys from other bands are standing in the wings watching. It's really fun.
Q: At this point in your career how much of a priority is new music? Do you foresee any new music in the soon future?
A: (Whitford) Well, that's interesting. We're not currently in the studio or anything. We're not quite sure when we might get back in the studio. Right now, actually, Steven is working on a solo album that he's been wanting to do for the last 20 years. I think a good deal of inspiration may come out of that. He may want to continue to write. Maybe at some point this year we might get into the studio and record some new music. Our plan right now is we're preparing for tour this summer.
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