Van Halen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and one of today’s most influential guitarists have merged, and their first stop on their North American tour will be Citadel Hill, August 2, 2009, for the inaugural Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest.
Chickenfoot plays Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest, August 2
Chickenfoot, not surprisingly, saw their recently released, self-titled album rise to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Independent chart, No. 4 overall. They are currently on a European tour, promoting their new album.
The album has already sold 79,000 copies, but, as vocalist Sammy Hagar says, “No one’s really in it for the money.” Composed entirely of musicians who’ve already seen success in the form of dollar-bills and die-hard fans, Chickenfoot was a way for them to play purely for the excitement of performing live.
It was at Hagar’s own nightclub in San Lucas, Mexico, The Cabo Wabo Cantina, where he and co-Van Halen member Michael Anthony would eventually create the supergroup known as Chickenfoot. After years of jamming to cover songs with local or visiting musicians, Hagar and Anthony felt like they should start up another band. They, along with drummer Chad Smith, called upon Joe Satriani to be their guitarist, who gratefully accepted the task.
“[I felt] an immediate connection unlike anything I’d ever experienced before,” says Satriani, best known for his advanced guitar solos in his all-instrumental music, for which he has been nominated for 15 Grammy’s.
Satriani claims he didn’t expect much fame from Chickenfoot. He says in response to the album making No. 4 on the Billboard charts: “I swear, I was thinking we were going to be one-hundred-something.” Chickenfoot isn’t meant to be a Van Halen substitute, or a Red Hot Chili Peppers copy cat band, according to Satriani, but it’s own band, making unique, Chickenfoot songs.
Canadian fans can expect to hear Chickenfoot play Oh Yeah, their first hit single from the album. Anthony says Oh Yeah will be a fan-favorite, because it is one of those songs that “will hopefully create a lot of audience participation.” Hagar affirms that it is “just a classic, friggin’, ass-kickin’, rock tune.”
As part of their promotion, their album is available in an exclusive, heat sensitive package. Like a mood ring, the cover changes appearance with temperature, and after touched, reveals a special photo montage of the band. The album is also available in digital format on iTunes (don’t expect this to be heat-sensitive 
).
For their stop in Halifax, they will join Our Lady Peace, Finger Eleven, and Sloan to support our CF and play for thousands of ticket holders at the Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest. Chickenfoot may also be bringing their special opening act, Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, a blues act that they plan to tour with for much of the summer. Come see them live over the Natal Day weekend on Citadel Hill, August 2, 2009, and support our troops.
