Rock Notes: John Mayer sidelined

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September 19, 2011, 7:58 am

John Mayer has been diagnosed with granuloma, a serious throat condition that has forced him to cancel all plans to sing in the near future. In a post on his blog, the guitarist explained that he has spent several months monitoring his condition, but has been advised by doctors to bow out of planned appearances at the iheartradio Music Festival in Las Vegas and an appearance with Tony Bennett in Los Angeles.
Mayer's condition has also set back work on his forthcoming album. "Born and Raised is complete as far as music recording, song selection, and in some cases mixing, but because of this condition I couldn’t finish singing on several of the tracks," he wrote on his blog. "This means the record will be released next year instead of this fall or winter."

Queen Extravaganza Looking for Guitarist
Queen’s drummer is enlisting the public's help to find the group for Queen Extravaganza, a 2012 trek that will feature a band playing Queen's music combined with unseen footage and a production spectacle. Beginning Monday September 19th, people who think they have what it takes to play Brian May's guitar riffs in "Sheer Heart Attack" or do their best Mercury vocals on "Bohemian Rhapsody" can upload their auditions here.

Coachella Lineup Speculation
After Coachella promoters AEG and Goldenvoice announced in May that the 2012 festival would expand to be held over two weekends in April, speculation of which artists will fill the bill has been high. After months of no official word, sources have begun to report that two huge acts have been secured to headline: Radiohead and No Doubt.

No official confirmation has been made on Coachella’s website yet, but website HITS Daily Double made a mention of the two bands’ involvement with Coachella 2012 buried deep within a larger article about rock music sales in today’s popular market. No other details were divulged.

Foo Fighters Counter-Protest
A religious group known for picketing U.S. soldiers' funerals got a taste of its own medicine on Friday afternoon. The Foo Fighters stood atop a flatbed before their Kansas City show that night and sardonically treated the protesters from Westboro Baptist Church to a live performance, in a counter-protest of the Topeka, KS-based church's anti-gay views. (via NBC Action News)

Dressed in trucker costumes from their recent "Hot Buns" video, the band members hit back at the protesters with a message of tolerance and American pride. "Land of the free, home of the brave," frontman Dave Grohl declared at the end of the song, in an exaggerated drawl. "I don't care if you're black or white or purple or green, whether you're Pennsylvanian or Transylvanian, Lady Gaga or Lady Antebellum. It takes all kinds." Read more