Guitarists Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction) and Billy Morrison (Billy Idol) have announced the initial artists who will join them for the January 25 “ABOVE GROUND” benefit concert at The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, CA. The fourth iteration of the event will feature performances from Billy Howerdel (A Perfect Circle), Billy Idol, Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses), Elliot Easton (The Cars), Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains), Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads/ Modern Lovers), Josh Freese (Foo Fighters), Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) and Tommy Henriksen & Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper, Hollywood Vampires), with additional talent to be announced in the new year.
The ABOVE GROUND concerts have become known for celebrating the vinyl album as an art form with performances of two seminal albums in their entirety. This year will see Navarro and Morrison shining the light on the groundbreaking self-titled debuts by the New York Dolls (1973) and The Cars (1978) and other songs.
“Dave and I love albums that sit closer to the ‘art’ side of things, and that are a bit of a challenge to recreate,” Billy Morrison says. “We just do our best to honor the records, to get the parts and the tones correct, to not just hack through bad cover versions of these important songs. So, we don’t really try to put a ‘spin’ on them but rather present these albums as they were meant to be heard, every song in order, sounding as close as we can get to the original.”
“ABOVE GROUND 3 [2021] was a great success,” Dave Navarro says. “But I got really sick with Covid after that show. And it’s been over two years until I was well enough to get back on stage. And as I continue to heal, we thought this is the time! We have work to do and we need to remind people, especially through the holidays, that it’s ok to ask for help! I really look forward to getting on stage with my friends and recreating this seminal music while at the same time having some fun and raising money for MusiCares.”
“The need to shine a light on mental health doesn’t go away,” Morrison says. “And I think that Dave and I work so well together on these AG events that it just felt right to come back with the fourth show. We both have our own mental health battles on different levels and if we can help raise some funds and awareness, then we are doing a good thing.
“ABOVE GROUND” launched in 2018 and has featured Navarro and Morrison alongside a star-studded lineup of their friends including Jack Black, Corey Taylor, Anthony Kiedis, Juliette Lewis, Courtney Love, Billy Idol, Al Jourgensen, Steve Stevens, and many more. The events have highlighted full-length albums from legendary acts including Adam and The Ants, Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground, David Bowie, The Stooges, and Sex Pistols. Tickets are on sale now HERE.
