Johnny Depp may find the whole idea of actors in bands sickening, as he once told an Australian newspaper, but the movie star will put those opinions aside for the chance to play a gig with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry at the Rock in Rio festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this September.

The Hollywood Vampires — a supergroup  formed by Cooper — is named for the rambunctious group of musicians the singer hung around with at Los Angeles’s Rainbow Bar and Grill in the Seventies including John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Keith Moon, and Ringo Starr. Cooper confirmed the gig on his Instagram page.

Depp’s association with Cooper goes back to when the two met when filming director Tim Burton’s film, Dark Shadows. Depp also lent background vocals to Aerosmith’s “Music in Another Dimension.”

He has lent his guitar chops to recordings and performances alongside Ryan Adams, Marilyn Manson, Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney and Butch Walker.

Rock in Rio 2015 will be held September 18-20 and 24-27. Visit RockinRio.com/Rio for the full initial lineup and ticket information.

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Cover photo: Man Alive

UNDATED (AP) – Nazareth have their third singer in less than two years.

Original singer Dan McCafferty left the band in August 2013 because of poor health and was replaced by Linton Osborne.

Osborne announced his departure from Nazareth in January after suffering a virus that affected his vocal cords.

Nazareth have brought on Carl Sentance on vocals, and Osborne sends his best to Sentance and the band.

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Jeff Beck has enjoyed a long and lauded music career that’s included a stint as The Yardbirds’ lead guitarist, a lot of groundbreaking solo work and collaborations with such other stars as Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Roger Waters, Tina Turner, Les Paul, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jon Bon Jovi.  Now, the blues-rock guitar virtuoso is planning to share details of his eventful life and career with a pair of new books and a documentary.

Beck has signed a publishing deal with Genesis Publishing Group, and is preparing a high-quality limited-edition book for release in late 2015, and he’s also writing an autobiography.  In addition, Jeff is working on his first-ever officially sanctioned documentary.

The two-time Rock and Roll of Fame inductee has a particularly busy year planned.  In addition to the aforementioned projects, Beck has a series of solo tour dates and joint shows with ZZ Top scheduled in the spring.  He also is planning to finish a new studio album that is expected out before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Jeff continues to promote his new concert video, Live in Tokyo, which was released this past November and captures an April 2014 show Beck played in the Japanese city.

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Photo credit: Matt Gibbons

Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood has revealed that the band is plotting a new North American tour for later this year.  Speaking recently with Billboard magazine, Wood reported that he “had a meeting in New York with the boys and we’re gonna come [to] North America again in the summer.”

The rock legends have been touring fairly regularly since launching a trek celebrating their 50 anniversary back in late 2012, with their most recent series of shows winding down on November 22 in Auckland, New Zealand.

“We’re just mind-blown about how the music is coming out even better than ever,” said Wood about the band’s recent performances.  “And I’m getting it easier nowadays, ’cause we’re having an easier schedule than I used to have.”

The Rolling Stones’ latest visit to the U.S. took place in 2013, and wrapped up with a June 24 concert in Washington, D.C.  No word yet on when the upcoming shows might be announced.

Wood also told Billboard that there are no concrete plans for a Faces reunion following the December 2014 death of the band’s founding keyboardist Ian McLagan, although he did team up with fellow surviving Faces Rod Stewart and Kenney Jones to play a couple of songs in tribute to McLagan at Stewart’s 70th birthday party last month.

“What else, I don’t know,” said Ronnie.  “I’ve got such a busy schedule and I’m painting and playing away, so I shall wait to hear from his next of kin.”

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Wellington (AFP) – AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd will stand trial in April on charges of threatening to kill and drug possession, court officials in New Zealand ruled Monday.

Rudd, 60, will face a judge-alone trial in the Tauranga District Court beginning on April 21, officials said.

The veteran rocker has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stem from a police raid on his waterfront North Island mansion on November 6.

He was also initially charged with “attempting to procure murder”, but it was dropped after prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to proceed.

The case has left Rudd’s position with the top-selling band in doubt, with drummer Chris Slade replacing him Sunday for a performance at the Grammys in Los Angeles.

Slade said on Facebook that he was also playing in the upcoming “Rock or Bust” world tour, although Rudd said last year that he wanted to keep his job.

A summary of facts released by prosecutors last year alleged that Rudd threatened to kill a man and his daughter in a phone call in September.

He also allegedly called a business associate and detailed what he wanted done to the man.

The document alleged that when police raided Rudd’s home they found 0.71 grams (0.025 ounces) of methamphetamine and 130 grams (4.5 ounces) of cannabis.

Threatening to kill charges carry a maximum jail term of seven years in New Zealand.

Australian-born Rudd, who has lived in the North Coast seaside town of Tauranga since 1983, is free on bail ahead of the trial.

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