Latest news with #Strat
Winnipeg Free Press
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg singer-guitarist gets his own signature Fender Stratocaster
For nearly 20 years as a professional musician, Ariel Posen has been honing his unmistakable signature sound. Now, the Winnipeg-raised guitar hero has his own signature guitar, too. Earlier this month, Posen and the manufacturing giant Fender released the Limited Edition Ariel Posen Stratocaster, an instrument customized to the specifications of the prolific singer-guitarist, who has released two albums — Mile End III and a self-titled duo album with session drummer Ash Soan — so far in 2025. 'It was kind of like the sky's the limit; whatever you want, we can do,' says Posen of the collaboration with Fender and the company's pickup designer Tim Shaw, who worked with Posen for nearly three years to get the finished product — which combines his favourite features of Jazzmaster and Strat models — just right. SUPPLIED Ariel Posen plays the custom Fender Limited Edition Stratocaster designed for him. 'It's a fairly simple instrument, but every little detail I wanted was never an issue. Everyone has their tool of choice in whatever field they're in, and for me specifically, this is the style of guitar I gravitate to.' Posen, whose career kickstarted with local projects such as the New Lightweights, Sierra Noble and the Bros. Landreth, has lived in Montreal for five years while touring at a consistent clip. Much of the work with Fender was done remotely, but the guitarist had the chance to visit the company's Corona, Calif., headquarters to prepare video content for the instrument's release. Prior to last week's limited launch of 100 signature models, finished with a faded Lake Placid blue lacquer and featuring custom soapbar pickups, Posen had a prototype model for about a year, which he says gave him the chance to get comfortable with the instrument that puts him in rarefied company. Other guitarists to receive a limited-edition Fender model include country star Brad Paisley, the Clash's Joe Strummer, Beatle George Harrison, guitar virtuoso Eric Johnson, '60s icon Jimi Hendrix, Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. 'It's hard for me to register that this is actually a real thing. It's so funny to find my name there. I'm just incredibly beyond grateful for the opportunity, whether my name belongs on that list or not,' says Posen, 37, whose parents Kinsey Posen and Shayla Fink are members of legendary klezmer band Finjan. 'The first guitar I ever got was a $30 acoustic that my parents bought for me, maybe from a garage sale.' Earlier this summer, Posen also partnered with Stringjoy to introduce a signature, nickel-wound string set, which, according to Premier Guitar, is ideal for B standard, open C and other lower tunings. On Dec. 12, Posen will bring his signature sound, strings and guitar to Winnipeg's Park Theatre for the closing show of his 24-date Future Present Tense tour. Tickets for the all-ages show go on sale today at Ben WaldmanReporter Ben Waldman is a National Newspaper Award-nominated reporter on the Arts & Life desk at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Ben completed three internships with the Free Press while earning his degree at Ryerson University's (now Toronto Metropolitan University's) School of Journalism before joining the newsroom full-time in 2019. Read more about Ben. Every piece of reporting Ben produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Economic concerns, tensions with Canada have Las Vegas tourism rates falling
Las Vegas' hotel-casino operators are all about the deals this summer. Resorts World is offering up to 40% off room rates and a $75 daily resort credit, plus free self-parking through Aug. 28. The Strat's summer value package includes room rates starting at $49, plus a $25 daily dining credit. Other operators are dropping prices for locals to boost staycations. The discounts come at a time when international and budget-conscious travelers are hesitating to book their next trip to the Strip. May was the fifth consecutive month Las Vegas has seen a year-over-year decline in tourism traffic, with visitor volume down 6.5% to just under 3.5 million people for the month, according to figures from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. 'I think there's an uptick (in deals) due to the environment we're in,' said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the LVCVA. "The operators here have the ability to turn a number of dials based on demand, and we're – like the rest of the United States – down a little bit from where we were the past couple of years.' The pullback in visitation comes as consumers grow uneasy about the economy under President Donald Trump's new trade policies, which experts warn will drive up consumer prices. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index fell 5.4 points in June, hovering near lows not seen since the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic. With tariffs and higher prices top of mind, consumers were more pessimistic about job availability and business conditions throughout the remainder of the year, according to the report. Meanwhile, consumer spending dipped 0.1% in May, according to the Commerce Department, with Americans holding back on purchases at hotels, restaurants and bars. 'When there's so much uncertainty in the economy, people make decisions more slowly. They tend to wait,' said Stephen Miller, an economics professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Hill said that uncertainty is showing up in Las Vegas' visitation data. 'The majority of the country has to pay attention to their budget and is concerned about how they're doing economically, or what the status of their job might be,' he said. That could be especially true if travelers no longer see Las Vegas as a value destination. Resort fees, parking rates and higher prices for food and drinks are a common gripe with travelers online, although Hill said those views tend to be more anecdotal than a driving force behind the recent slip in visitation. Still, 'when people start to be more budget conscious, those kind of concerns understandably come to the forefront,' he said. Andrew Page of Tampa, Florida, said he has cut back on his Las Vegas trips in recent years because he no longer thinks he's getting his money's worth. All of the extra fees and price hikes, he said, make him feel like the city is overpriced. 'When I do my travels for pleasure, I'm picking locations where there's an overall good experience, you're getting a lot of value for your dollar, somewhere that's a little more exclusive,' said Page, 54, who works in tech innovation advisory. 'Vegas just doesn't pop up on the list, and it used to be a place we loved to go." A decline in international visitation has also hit Las Vegas' tourism traffic. While Las Vegas' tourism decline is led by a slip in domestic travel, which is typically behind roughly 88% of total visitation, the city has also seen fewer international travelers, especially from Canada. Hill said visitation from the country is down roughly 15% so far this year. Brian Faulkner, a 46-year-old from Calgary, Alberta, who works in film and TV production, said he and his wife typically visit Las Vegas anywhere from four to eight times a year. Direct flights make it easy to squeeze in a quick trip during a long weekend, he said, and the couple enjoys the city for its food and casino comps. But the couple has decided to hold off on returning while Trump is in office, fed up with the U.S. president's talk about making Canada the 51st state. Instead, Faulkner is funneling his travel budget back into Canada and other destinations. He had just returned from a camping trip north of Calgary when he spoke to USA TODAY, and his wife plans to visit Scotland at the end of July. 'A lot of Canadians are taking more pride in Canada, and we are traveling within our own borders. My wife and I, we have actually been doing more date nights locally to try to see our city through the eyes of a tourist,' he said. 'We're trying to do the patriotic thing for our country.' The decline in Las Vegas is in line with national trends. Total international visitation during the first four months of the year was down roughly 1%, with visitation from Canada down 14.5%, according to the International Trade Administration. Blair Yaworsky, a warehouse manager based in Edmonton, Alberta, said he's not sure he'll ever be comfortable booking another trip to the U.S. Yaworsky, 53, has been a frequent traveler to the States, especially Las Vegas. But like Faulkner, Yaworsky is holding back on further U.S. travel due to the Trump administration's actions. Talk of tariffs and making Canada the 51st state was upsetting, but Yaworsky – who is of Ukrainian heritage – said the administration's public spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was his last straw. Yaworsky said he has already canceled a trip to Montana with his nephews, noting that he's uneasy taking them to the U.S. because they are mixed race. His last trip to the country was in May, a four-night stay and farewell to Las Vegas. Yaworsky said he hit up his favorite restaurants, attended the Punk Rock Bowling music festival and did a bit of gambling. 'I just love the escapism that Las Vegas offers. It's, quite frankly, going to suck not going down. It's a huge part of our lives,' he said. 'I've had to make peace that maybe I traveled there for the last time.' No Canada! North-of-the-border buyers pull back as trade war heats up Looking forward, Hill is confident that Las Vegas visitation numbers will bounce back. Hill said the city has a lineup of events, meetings and trade shows scheduled for this fall that should boost traffic. For instance, this November's SEMA Show, the Specialty Equipment Market Association's automotive trade show, is set to bring in roughly 160,000 visitors, according to the LVCVA. Next year, CONEXPO-CON/AGG, a construction trade show held every three years, is expected to bring in nearly 140,000 visitors. The Sweets and Snacks Expo, also held in Las Vegas every third year, returns in May with an estimated 16,000 attendees. 'There's some optimism coming into the fall and beyond,' Hill said. '2026 is almost certainly the best trade show and group business meeting outlook that we've ever had.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Las Vegas resorts push summer deals with tourism on the decline
Irish Daily Mirror
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Slash froze when he saw Rory's guitar'
RORY Gallagher is goin' to his hometown... one more time. The life of the legendary bluesman will be celebrated in Cork, where he was reared, with a series of events over the next few weeks to mark the 30th anniversary of his death. It's an emotional time for Dónal Gallagher, the late guitarist's brother and long-time manager. 'It's very satisfying, compared to some times when it almost seemed like Rory was being airbrushed out of rock music history,' says Dónal. 'To see newer generations finding him now is quite incredible. 30 years on, that he's getting honoured in such a manner of different ways is great.' On Saturday, a new road at Cork Airport will be named in his honour and three exhibitions dedicated to Gallagher's life and music will open in the city where he grew up as part of 'Cork Rocks For Rory'. 'The one at City Hall is a photographic exhibition of his early years,' says Dónal. 'The library are doing one about his songwriting and also about how he'd become a bit of a hidden cult figure in the world of comics in the US. 'The museum is the more general one with posters and guitars. There's quite a collection of guitars. And that rolls into the Joe Bonamassa dates.' Blues great Bonamassa will play Gallagher's music for three nights at the Marquee in Cork next month and there have been rumours Rory's famous Fender Stratocaster guitar will make an appearance. 'I've no idea,' says Dónal, laughing. 'I'm sure Joe would love that to happen, but it's in the hands of the museum people and they have their work to do. 'There's so many of the other of Rory's instruments have been offered around, so I'm sure he won't be short on guitars.' The Strat was bought at auction last year for over €1m and gifted back to the State to be displayed at the National Museum in Dublin. Dónal is still amazed at the effect the battered Strat has on some of the world's greatest guitarists. 'Johnny Marr's a great guy. He used to ring up to get a 'fix' of playing Rory's Strat,' said Dónal. 'He'd take it out, either at my house or the office, and he'd sit there in a corner just playing it. It was wonderful to see. 'The instrument, while it's not human, you feel it's orphaned. So it's great to see it get a good cuddle of sorts, especially from a guitarist like Johnny. 'Instruments need to be played. I don't play, so I couldn't do that. I think other family members were intimidated in some ways. 'I remember seeing Slash and the guitar was brought across to Dublin some years ago when he was playing. 'The guitar went to his dressingroom and he couldn't actually play it. He sort-of froze.' Gallagher was born in Ballyshannon, before moving to Cork at a young age, where he later cut his teeth on the showband circuit. Dónal collected a huge amount of material during his brother's career, going right back to the earliest days and went through much of it for the RTÉ documentary Calling Card last year. 'Very emotional, you're going back in your life as well as forwards,' said Dónal. 'It's not just about the career, it's sharing your life with your brother, it's loss as well. Particularly as we were the only two siblings. That leaves quite a void. 'I'm more fortunate than most that it's such a well-recorded life. 'We used to perform together at a very early age, do church socials, until I got fired! Even from nine or 10 years old Rory was destined for things. I found I'd collected something on everything he was doing. 'He had such an amazing life. He achieved what he wanted to achieve as a musician, which was his primary goal.' Gallagher died on June 14, 1995, at the age of just 47. 30 years after his death his music is still finding new fans and still inspiring new generations of musicians. He's even on this year's Leaving Cert. 'A cousin of mine, his daughter, who is a budding musician herself. She couldn't believe it to see the question on the Leaving Cert Irish exam,' said Dónal. 'That's quite something when you come into a Leaving Cert. I wish I'd got one like that.' Cork Rocks For Rory starts on June 14
Irish Times
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Denis Desmond's Rory Gallagher guitar deal came with a tax break to the tune of €930k
There was much fretting in Government circles when it was announced that Rory Gallagher 's signature Fender Stratocaster guitar would be auctioned by Bonham's in London last year. Taoiseach Micheál Martin , who hosted a civic reception for Gallagher when he was lord mayor of Cork in the early 1990s, said the State would do its best to ensure Gallagher's axe would not fall into foreign hands. Denis Desmond's Live Nation Gaiety Productions duly rocked up and bought the guitar at auction for a little over €1 million, saying it would donate it to the National Museum of Ireland (NMI). Figures released by the Department of Arts show it was a harmonious deal for everyone involved. The guitar and some other Gallagher memorabilia were gifted to the NMI under a scheme called Section 1003, whereby a donor receives an 80 per cent tax break on the value of the 'heritage item' they donate. READ MORE With the Gallagher gift valued at €1,161,483 by the department, the company will benefit from a €929,186 tax break in return for its generosity. If there's one bum note for the MCD founder, it's that the guitar looks like staying in Dublin for the foreseeable future. After purchasing it, Cork native Desmond said he hoped the guitar, which Gallagher bought for IR£100 in 1963 from Crowley's music store in Cork, would end up Leeside. Instead, the NMI is planning to use it as the centrepiece of a new exhibition in Collins Barracks in Dublin called Changing Ireland, opening this September. Sadly, visitors won't get to try a few licks on Gallagher's Strat. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins Michael O'Leary's down-to-earth side Ryanair 's Michael O'Leary recently said he didn't want to become the Magnier of Mullingar when asked about his purchase of just over 250 acres of tillage land in Delvin and Collinstown in Co Westmeath last summer. The airline chief executive has said he owns about 2,000 acres in his native Westmeath, most of it around his Gigginstown estate. He recently added another 58 acres, paying €1.45 million for the privilege – a hefty €25,000 an acre. A representative of O'Leary bought a residential farm at Crowenstown, near Delvin, at auction just before Christmas, outbidding several other parties. We know because last week Bradley Investments, his property investment vehicle, applied for permission to upgrade and extend a house on the farm. The high flyer may have made his fortune from running Ryanair but he obviously feels the strong pull of the land. Retrospective planning: Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott. Photograph: Juan Pablo Pino/AFP/Getty Rocker seeks to keep gazebo Last year Def Leppard's Joe Elliott got tangled up in a bizarre planning row with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council over a treehouse, of all things. After the council initiated enforcement proceedings against Elliott and his wife, Kristine, for building the 'unauthorised' treehouse in the grounds of their Stepaside home in south Co Dublin, the couple eventually received retrospective planning permission for it, with the council ruling that the 7sq m structure could remain as long as it was 'used for the purposes of children's play only' (maybe they had images of Joe rocking out on the branches). The heavy metal icon is taking nothing for granted with yet another addition to his garden in the foothills of Treerock Mountain. Last week he applied for retention permission for a turreted gazebo measuring about 9sq m which Elliott's planning consultant has assured the council is 'purely ornamental'. David Duffy banking on Skib expansion David Duffy, the banker who helped drag AIB out of its government bailout and back to profitability a decade ago, told The Irish Times in an interview in 2023 that he often worked from his west Cork home when he was chief executive of Virgin Money UK , Britain's sixth-biggest lender. It looks like he's set to make his office a bit more comfortable in Roaring Water House, a Victorian pile near Skibberreen he and his wife Carolyn bought for €1.25 million three years ago. Earlier this month Duffy, who is now chief executive of Clydesdale Bank, applied for planning permission to demolish an outbuilding and build a new 45sq m home office and gym at his west Cork base. A decision is due next month. He can well afford the construction project. When Virgin Money sold to Nationwide last year, Duffy reportedly trousered about €18 million from shares he owned in the bank. RTÉ's Marty Morrissey. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins Marty's firm makes a tasty profit We recently reported how Marty Morrissey is the most eager moonlighter in RTÉ , requesting permission from the broadcaster for the most external gigs in the second and third quarters of last year. Accounts filed last week by Mutton Island Productions, his personal company, show the RTÉ staffer is starting to accrue the benefits of his additional toil. The company, which was established in 2021, made a profit of €34,866 last year, bringing its retained profits to €77,686. Conclave: Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence, fictional dean of the College of Cardinals. Photo: PA Divine intervention Timing is everything. Streaming numbers for the 2024 film Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci, spiked 283 per cent last week after the death of Pope Fracis. But the timing of the pontiff's passing was less serendipitous for Prime Time Investigates. RTÉ's investigative strand had an exposé into the wealth and assets of the Christian Brothers in the can and ready to broadcast last Wednesday when fate intervened. RTÉ Investigates: Christian Brothers, The Assets, The Abusers will now be broadcast a week later in peak viewing time, a spokeswoman for RTÉ said, barring any other divine intervention. Sheddy characters In the run-up to the last general election in November, lobby groups were elbowing their way to the table for meetings with political party leaders. Who would have thought that among the select few to secure meetings with both Micheál Martin and Tanáiste Simon Harris was the Irish Men's Sheds Association? A lobbying register return filed last week showed that during the meetings the registered charity put the squeeze on the Taoiseach and Tánaiste to reinstate a €3,000 grant for each shed that had previously been available. Could they be a burgeoning political force?
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rockabilly rover Mick Rogers on playing with Frank Zappa, touring with Kiss, and rootsy jams with Jeff Beck
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Rockabilly rover Mick Rogers has a knack for being in the right place at the right time – usually. Best known as lead guitarist in Manfred Mann's Earth Band between '71 and '75, he's played alongside a host of rock icons. His right-place-right-time good fortune, however, wasn't operating when he left the Earth Band a year before their hit cover of Bruce Springsteen's Blinded by the Light. He did, however, later reunite with them, and in the intervening years he led and played in many bands – most notably Aviator – and was even in consideration to replace Peter Gabriel in Genesis. Can you recall your first emotional connection with the guitar? 'I had a musical family. My dad was a drummer, my auntie was a keyboard player, and my uncle, who lived with us, was a guitarist and double bass player. A big moment came when Elvis hit with Heartbreak Hotel. Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck especially – they'd say it was the turning moment in rock. I remember that day. 'One afternoon I took my uncle's guitar – a Levin acoustic – to a talent contest on the coast at Dovercourt in Essex, and I played Mystery Train by Elvis. When the small applause came, I thought: 'This is exactly what I want to do.'' When did your career take off? 'I performed a lot throughout my teenage years, and eventually moved to London; there were more musical opportunities for me there. I got a tour with the Vision, the backing band for Adam Faith and Helen Shapiro. Then Normie Rowe – an enormous pop star in Australia – asked me to join his band, the Playboys. 'There was something about being an English musician, which meant something in Australia at the time. I don't know what it means now. Probably not a lot! When touring in Australia, we had musicians ask us, 'This Eric Clapton guy, are his sideburns still as long as they were?' It wasn't about the guitar – it was about how he looked! 'In 1967 Normie was called up for national service, so we formed the Procession from members of the Playboys.' What was your go-to gear for Manfred Mann's Earth Band? 'I've always been a Strat cat – I think a Strat can sound like a Les Paul, but it doesn't necessarily work the other way round; in those days especially. I had a Gibson SG that I brought back from Australia, but it was falling apart. When the Earth Band played 10 consecutive shows in Rome to get us up and running, I saw this fantastic Les Paul and I said: 'That's the guitar for me.'' You got one of your most-prized Les Pauls thanks to Frank Zappa. How did that happen? 'Years later when on an Earth Band tour, we supported Frank. His management said to our bass player, Colin Pattenden, 'Frank was wondering if you could step in, because our bass player has to go back to LA.' Colin said: 'I'm not the guy you want. Mick is – he's a bass player and he's a big Zappa nut.' Gene Simmons told me, 'Kiss are either going to be the next biggest thing, or we're going to die on our ass!' 'There I was, all of a sudden, at sound check with George Duke and Chester Thompson; all my heroes. Frank came over and said, 'I've been told you're a fan. The first tune we do is a tune called Pygmy Twylyte.' I said, 'Do you do it in the same key you recorded it in?' Zappa went, 'You really are a fan!' 'The Earth Band flew to Miami the next day to finish the Uriah Heep tour. I didn't sleep that night. I was still pumped up. Zappa's management insisted on paying me for the gig – and with that money I bought a Les Paul Deluxe. 'Years later, when Frank came to Australia, we had dinner. He didn't eat much, though; he lived on black coffee and cigarettes. I never saw him eat anything.' Can you recall the biggest audiences the Earth Band played to? 'It was Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, with Free and Deep Purple. That was one of the first big audiences. It was a very successful tour for us and we were able to go back and do our own tour. We did an extra gig with Deep Purple, but Free didn't do it. 'Purple were really nice to us. We had a situation over there with a promoter, Sammy Lee, who was a bit of a mafia guy. He wanted us to do an extra concert but refused to pay us. It got really nasty, but Deep Purple were great supporters of ours. They could see that we were going through some strife there. Ritchie Blackmore was great… he's another rockabilly guy.' Kiss supported you shortly after the release of their first album. What was that like? 'I had to use the same microphone that Gene Simmons used with all the blood coming out of his mouth! I remember Simmons telling me, 'We're either going to be the next biggest thing, or we're going to die on our ass!' 'When they went onstage with the makeup and stuff, people were quite silent because they just couldn't believe what they were seeing. Nor could we! They were scary – Gene Simmons was a scary looking image. But he was lovely.' In 1975 you split with the Earth Band. Was it a shock? 'I'd become a real pain. I wasn't grown-up enough, although I should have been. But my head was taken by the Zappa thing. I went to the studio one time, to talk about new material, I thought, and they said, 'Mick, I'm afraid you've been voted out.' 'I went back to Australia and performed with some great people over there. I got a lot of nonsense out of my head. Blinded by the Light entered the top 100; then it was 80; then it got to Number One. I remember thinking, 'Maybe I should have hung around a bit!'' I rejoined Manfred Mann after 10 years away. Jeff Beck and I could empty a room – we were just talking about rockabilly. We were both Cliff Gallup fans More recently, you had the pleasure of getting to know the late Jeff Beck. 'I got together with Jeff on Valentine's Day a few years ago. His manager – a great friend of mine, Colin Newman – put us together. The famous white Strat was sitting on the couch so I said, 'Jeff, pick it up and play it!' He was very sheepish, but what a guy! 'We could empty a room because we were just talking about rockabilly and how he grew up. We were both Cliff Gallup fans. I believe I've got the last recording Jeff ever did in the studio; we got together with some rockabilly guys and did an album which hasn't been released.' Why not? 'Jeff was playing through a dodgy Marshall. We played Lucille by Little Richard, but Jeff didn't like the sound. He said, 'We'll do it again later on.' Of course, that didn't happen, and he went on tour with Johnny Depp instead. 'When I listen to the track now, I think: 'Jeff, there's nothing wrong with your sound.' He could have played through a paper cup and it would still have sounded like Jeff Beck! He was just wonderful.' What's your current guitar gear? 'In my solo work I use a red Stratocaster, plugged into a Kemper. I've got a ghost pickup on my Strat, which, with a flick of a switch, changes into an acoustic guitar. I use Rodenberg pedals – I introduced them to Steve Lukather, and he uses them to this day. They're the business. All that and a Hughes & Kettner is everything I need.' Rogers' current live schedule includes a solo tour and dates with the Earth Band.
