{"id":41723,"date":"2014-06-25T16:40:10","date_gmt":"2014-06-25T21:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=41723"},"modified":"2014-07-08T07:09:52","modified_gmt":"2014-07-08T12:09:52","slug":"heaven-and-earth-to-embark-on-a-european-summer-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2014\/heaven-and-earth-to-embark-on-a-european-summer-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"Heaven and Earth to Embark on a European Summer Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Joe Dolan<\/span>
\n– Guest Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Stuart<\/p>\n

Continuing the epic struggle of a hard rock legacy during a time of one hit wonders and the stage escapades of artists like Miley Cyrus proves the strength of well written and well performed rock music, especially when that music is Stuart Smith\u2019s Heaven and Earth. The third installment of Smith\u2019s all-star, high energy and deeply rooted classic rock style is showcased in 2013\u2019s acclaimed release Dig, and the wave of critics\u2019 hoorahs continues to grow throughout 2014.<\/p>\n

British guitar legend Stuart Smith was highly visible performing with the band Sweet, making appearances on stage over the years alongside friend and fellow guitar hero Ritchie Blackmore and in the studio with top draw recording artists including Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), Glenn Hughes (California Breed), Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple) and Tony Franklin (Blue Murder) to name a few. On the album Dig, Smith enlisted the skills of Chuck Wright on bass (Quiet Riot), Richie Onori on drums (Sweet) and Arlan Schierbaum on keyboards (Joe Bonomassa) to record the music and he chose the most sought after voice in the LA rock scene, Joe Retta; a singer and multi-instrumentalist that has recorded and performed on stage with every major act that has played through the southwest corridor of the US. The result is a landmark album, produced by Dave Jenkins (Metallica, Tower of Power), further establishing the dominance of Smith\u2019s songwriting power with Heaven and Earth.<\/p>\n

The first appearance of the Dig<\/em> line-up drove throngs of music fanatics and industry professionals to line the street at the Fonda Theater in Hollywood for a show packed with the insane genius of Chuck Wright\u2019s stage design, compiling a carnival-like atmosphere with an unending supply of food and drinks, onstage music performances including song stylist Dilana and joining the band for the first live installment was Ed Roth on keyboards. The venue packed to capacity and the band immediately followed the show with a video release for the song No Money, No Love, ranking well over a quarter-million views online in just the first month. Few bands in the genre had stirred this music interest in a release since days long gone by and Heaven and Earth was just getting started.<\/p>\n

The band lined up a second show at the world famous Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, CA and released a follow-up video for the song “I Don\u2019t Know What Love Is,” developing a film-like trilogy portraying a story that builds from the characters in the first video release. Like the days of old when MTV reigned as the world\u2019s strongest entertainment video channel, Heaven and Earth was recreating the magic that lured fans to the table to witness a complete package. With an amazing album release, strong supporting video content and mind-blowing stage shows, Heaven and Earth had arrived triumphant.<\/p>\n