Billy Sheehan and Sons of Apollo Release Live Album
Sons of Apollo has returned with a new live album taken from their one-off performance at the Ancient Roman Theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Live With the Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony captures the band with a symphony performing songs from their debut album, Psychotic Symphony, as well as a set of cover songs.
The band, which utilizes double-neck instruments, is comprised of killer musicians from prog and rock bands: former Dream Theater members Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian, former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, former Journey/Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, and bassist Billy Sheehan, who is known for his amazing playing with The Winery Dogs, Mr. Big, and David Lee Roth. As such, they had a great pool of music to choose from, including “Just Let Me Breathe” by Dream Theater.
“In writing the setlist for SONS OF APOLLO’s very first tour, I knew we had to include a few songs from the Dream Theater album, Falling Into Infinity, which was the only full length studio album we did while Derek was in the band. I wanted to do ‘Just Let Me Breathe’ as it’s one of the deeper cuts on the album and I knew SOA would absolutely slay it!” Portnoy explains. “Between Bumble, Derek & Billy’s crazy guitar, keys & bass unison sections and Jeff’s overall driving, funky vocal delivery (with myself on the verses & chorus and Bumble on the bridge), I knew the SONS would breathe a whole new life into this track and even kick it up a few notches! Plus, as the song’s lyricist, I took artistic license and changed the lyric from ‘Shannon Hoon’ to ‘Chris Cornell’ to give it a little more relevance in 2019.”
Check out the live footage:
The set also includes solo spots for the musicians with a track dedicated to Sheehan’s solo spot. Live With the Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony is available now in a CD/DVD package and as a digital download (iTunes and Amazon MP3).
The Sons of Apollo will be supporting the release in North America with the “MMXX” tour in 2020. Tour dates are listed below.
Live With the Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony Track List:
Disc 1:
- God of the Sun
- Signs of the Time
- Divine Addiction
- That Metal Show Theme
- Just Let Me Breathe
- Billy Sheehan Bass Solo
- Lost in Oblivion
- JSS Solo Spot: The Prophet’s Song/Save Me
- Alive
- The Pink Panther Theme
- Opus Maximus
Disc 2:
- Kashmir
- Gates of Babylon
- Labyrinth
- Dream On
- Diary of a Madman
- Comfortably Numb
- The Show Must Go On
- Hell’s Kitchen
- Derek Sherinian Keyboard Solo
- Lines in the Sand
Disc 3:
- Bumblefoot Guitar Spot
- And the Cradle Will Rock
- Coming Home
Disc 4:
- God of the Sun
- Signs of the Time
- Divine Addiction
- That Metal Show Theme
- Just Let Me Breathe
- Billy Sheehan Bass Solo
- Lost in Oblivion
- JSS Solo Spot: The Prophet’s Song/Save Me
- Alive
- The Pink Panther Theme
- Opus Maximus
- Kashmir
- Gates of Babylon
- Labyrinth
- Diary of a Madman
- The Show Must Go On
- Hell’s Kitchen
- Derek Sherinian Keyboard Solo
- Lines in the Sand
- Bumblefoot Guitar Spot
- And the Cradle Will Rock
- Coming Home
Disc 5:
- God of the Sun
- Signs of the Time
- Divine Addiction
- That Metal Show Theme
- Just Let Me Breathe
- Billy Sheehan Bass Solo
- Lost in Oblivion
- JSS Solo Spot: The Prophet’s Song/Save Me
- Alive
- The Pink Panther Theme
- Opus Maximus
- Kashmir
- Gates of Babylon
- Labyrinth
- Diary of a Madman
- The Show Must Go On
- Hell’s Kitchen
- Derek Sherinian Keyboard Solo
- Lines in the Sand
- Bumblefoot Guitar Spot
- And the Cradle Will Rock
- Coming Home
- Documentary
- The “Slavi Show” feature
- Coming Home
- Lost in Oblivion
- Alive
- Tengo Vida
- Signs of the Time
- SOA – Introduction Part I
- SOA – Introduction Part II
- God of the Sun
- Coming Home
- Signs of the Time
- Labyrinth
- Alive
- Lost in Oblivion
- Figaro’s Whore
- Divine Addiction
- Opus Maximus
- Behind the Scenes Outtakes Part I
- Behind the Scenes Outtakes Part II
Sons of Apollo MMXX Tour Dates:
Date | Location | Venue |
---|---|---|
Jan 24 | Pomona, CA | The Glass House |
Jan 25 | Los Angeles, CA | The Roxy |
Jan 26 | San Francisco, CA | The Fillmore |
Jan 28 | Salt Lake City, UT | The State Room |
Jan 29 | Denver, CO | The Oriental Theater |
Jan 31 | St. Charles, IL | Arcada Theater |
Feb 1 | Battle Creek, MI | The Music Factory |
Feb 2 | Toronto, ONT | Mod Club |
Feb 3 | Montreal QUE | Corona Theater |
Feb 5 | Boston, MA | Paradise Rock Club |
Feb 6 | New York, NY | Gramercy Theater |
Feb 7 | Jim Thorpe, PA | Penn’s Peak |
Feb 8 | Englewood, NJ | Bergen PAC |
Spectacular concert recording! Eagerly awaiting the release of the concert film for purchase on iTunes.