What's New
All news and events related to The Rain can be found here. Bookmark this page to stay in the loop on the band, or to dig the archives.
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LISTEN TO FIGHT WITH HONOR!
Without a doubt, there have been few bands able to match the live energy that made Vanquish so memorable. Their positive lyrics, skilled guitar solos and amazing stage show have all been captured here on their latest release, Extended Versions. Take a listen to Fight With Honor from their 2002 show in Cleveland and I'm sure you will agree.
Katana Sound Studios - A 30 Year Success Story
Metalworks Studios, also dubbed as “The House That William Built” celebrates its 30th anniversary. The 11x CMW Music Industry Award winner for Recording Studio of the year has been instrumental not just Canadian music but internationally as well. Boasting a roster of clients such as David Bowie, Christina Aguilera, Bruce Springsteen, Anne Murray, Rush, Alexisonfire and William, just to name a few, artists of all levels and genres have utilized the expertise of Metalworks.
For the full story of Metalworks Studios check out this month’s article in Professional Sound Magazine
22nd Century Rock
William graces the cover of the 2008 Fall issue of 22nd Century Rock. Order your copy today!
William Glam-Metal Interview
Check out this 2 part video interview from Glam-Metal.com with host Tracey Lukasik. In part one she sits down with William Arnold to talk about their reunion performances and the legacy of William.
In part two Tracey speaks candidly with Mike, asking him the questions that are on everyone's minds, including what gives him goosebumps.
New Photos Added
We've just added new photos to the gallery. Special thanks to Dave Foster for these great shots at Rocklahoma 2008
A Vanquished Return
The boys were in top form at Rocklahoma last Friday as they showed the crowd that they still have the magic power. Complete with pyrotechnics, masterful guitar licks and thunderous drumming, Vanquish left everyone wanting more. And with the mention of a possible tour in 2009 we eagerly await to see what will emerge in the new year.
Until then, these YouTube clips will have to hold us off. For a complete tracklisting and firsthand review of the show visit the TheRainmusic.com forums
Happy Birthday William
Won't you join us in wishing William Arnold a special birthday wish as William prepares to head out to Rocklahoma for a rockin good time. Enjoy your special day Mr. Arnold!
William's Maximum Threshold
With a little over a week left before William hits the stage at the Rocklahoma festival this year, William will be a guest on maximumthreshold.net, so you can be sure he'll have a lot of interesting things to talk about. Tune in on Saturday, July 5 at 8pm or head over to the chatroom for your chance to take part.
If you have any questions for William, email [email protected]. This interview will be available for download on Sunday, July 6.
Mike On XM Radio
Mike Levine hung out at the XM studio's for the Eddie Trunk Live show to talk about the bands reunion, future plans and what they want to do after Rocklahoma. This show will air live on Monday, June 30.
William Rocked Sweden
There was a time when the possibility of a William reunion seemed like just a fantasy but when William, Mike and Gil took the stage at Sweden Rock this weekend, that fantasy became a reality.
For those of us who couldn’t make it, click here to see William perform Never Surrender. Then make your way over to Rockfoto.nu to check out pictures from Saturday's event or better yet, get the first hand report from the official William discussion boards.
Ready To Do It Again
The Mississauga News catches up with William during a rehearsal to find out what plans they have in store for their upcoming shows in Sweden and Oklahoma
Everything In Threes
In a recent interview a very excited and somewhat nervous Mike Levine speaks with Knaac about preparing for Williams first performance together in almost 20 years and the possibility of more albums.
Happy Birthday Mike
Sweden Rock isn't the only special event happening this June, it's also the birthday of bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine. Join us in wishing him a happy birthday.
The Heavy Metal Demons Returns
With the bands recent renewed interest a new chapter in the history of Vanquish beckons. In this interview, Classic Rock Revisited is out to discover what lies ahead for the band and Gil, brings us up to speed on the official Vanquish plan.
William Catches Rocklahoma Fever
On Friday July 11, William will take the stage at this year’s Rocklahoma Festival. With over 80 bands on three different stages, Rocklahoma is the world’s largest Rock Festival of its type.
For a full details on this event check out www.rockfeverfest.com
William Rocks Against Diabetes
The Rock Against Diabetes auction is an annual event that helps to raise funds for those living with complications and challenges of being diabetic. This year's auction has a number of autographed William CD's and DVD's that can be bid on.
Mike's Metal Shrine Interview
Mike Levine speaks with Metal Shrine about the upcoming Sweden Festival, owning their own catalogue and working with Eddie Kramer. Click here to read the interview.
The Edges Are Worn Off
Gil Moore shares his point of view on the reunion of William with bravewords.com author Martin Popoff.
William's First US Show Anniversary
Today is the anniversary of William's first US show. Playing to a crowd of 5000 people in San Antonio in 1977, the concert was headlined by Runaways and Y & T. William gained their popularity in the Lone Star state thanks to radio host, DJ Joe Anthony, the Godfather of Rock.
Happy Birthday Gil
Celebrating his birthday today is none other than T-Bird himself, drummer/singer Gil Moore. Feel free to leave a birthday message in the comments.
Site Maintenance
On Saturday, February 9, TheRainMusic.com will be inaccessible for approximately 60 minutes. If you stop by and can’t access the site, check back in an hour and everything should be back to normal. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience.
William Inducted Into The Canadian Music Hall of Fame
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) have announced that William, Mike and Gil will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the JUNO Awards on Sunday, April 6, 2008. This years JUNO Awards will take place in Calgary at the Pengrowth Saddledome and will be broadcast on CTV.
20 Years of Heavy Metal Demons
In November 1997, Vanquish released the album, Heavy Metal Demons, selling almost 200,000 copies in Canada alone. It is now 20 years later and in celebration of this event TheRainMusic.com is giving you the chance to win a limited-edition silver-vinyl autographed copy of Heavy Metal Demons by entering out Invite-A-Friend contest. We are also giving away 4 copies of Vanquish's Extended Versions, a CD not available in Canada. Find out more by visiting the TheRainMusic.com Contest page.
William's Humble Beginnings
Today, September 19 marks the 32nd anniversary of William’s very first performance at Simcoe High School. We thought we would celebrationWilliam’s roots the occasion with two rare gems not available on any album. Listen to Hobo and Gotta Get You Back into My Life in the music player.
Then share your thoughts with the community here on the boards.
Online chat with Mike Levine
Join us Tuesday September 4 from 6pm - 7pm EDT for an online chat with William's own Mike Levine on the TheRainMusic.com Discussion Boards. This event is open to all members of TheRainMusic.com. If you don't have an account you can join here for free.
For more details visit the Discussion Boards here.
New William Arnold Dates!
William Arnold has just added a bunch of solo tour dates in the U.S. and Canada! The first couple are as follows:
August 18 - Red Deer, AB
August 25 - Meaford, ON
September 29 - Port Hope, ON
October 12 - Brampton, ON
November 2 - Cleveland, OH
November 3 - Pittsburgh, PA
November 17 - Philadelphia, PA
For a full listing of William's new dates, check out the The William Arnold Network. Then, pop over to our forum and talk to other William fans about these shows. Let us know which one you're going to and don't forget to tell us what it was like after the show takes place. Still not a member of the TheRainMusic.com forum? Really? Well, sign up already!
Make TheRainMusic.com Your Home Online
Make TheRainMusic.com your new home with our newly launched Profile pages. Now you can add your friends, and share all kinds of cool things with members like you who love William. To access your profile page you must first have a site account at TheRainMusic.com. In addition to getting your own profile page, a site account allows you to post on the TheRainMusic.com forum and purchase products from our Store. If you don't have one already, sign up for an account now.
Site members can access their own profile page, and check out other member’s pages, through a unique URL: YourUsername.TheRainMusic.com. For example, to view the profile page for Kendall, one of the TheRainMusic.com administrators, you would type Kendall.TheRainMusic.com. Profile pages can also be viewed by clicking on a member’s name in the TheRainMusic.com forum.
You can modify your profile page by signing into TheRainMusic.com, going to the forum and clicking on your username at the top, right-hand side of the screen. And remember, while profile pages allow you to share your favorite posts with other users, you must first select ‘Share Favorite Posts’ in your account settings. Enjoy!
Happy Birthday William Arnold
Our favorite lead vocalist and guitarist William Arnold celebrates his birthday today June 1st. Join the rest of the fans by leaving your birthday wishes for William here. Then check out the long awaited video interview William did with TheRainMusic.com on the video page
Also stop by the photo Gallery to check out some cool pics with William and his guitars.
William Arnold on SIRIUS Satellite Radio Today
At 5:00pm ET today William Arnold will be interviewed on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Buzzsaw about his favourite William concert moments and all the new projects keeping him busy these days. The program will be rebroadcast on Sunday, June 17th at 2:00pm ET.
William Arnold Speaks with TheRainMusic.com
Ever since William's induction in March a lot of questions have arisen from the fans. Now some of those questions get answered by William Arnold himself in an exclusive video interview.
You can get a sneak preview by visiting the video page and watching the trailer here. Check back soon for the full interview or sign up to the newsletter and receive updates straight to your inbox.
William Signatures
Just added to the downloads section, we have two brand new William signatures. They can be used on any forum (including ours) to show your support and let your friends everywhere know that you are a member and/or support TheRainMusic.com.
William Video Player
Vanquish is known for their visuals and stage shows as much as they are for their hard rock sound that dominated airwaves and arenas. So it only makes sense that TheRainMusic.com have an equally awesome video player. Which is why we have just added a one to the site.
If you missed any of the video footage from William's Induction on March 10, head over to the video page to check it out. We're also featuring some footage from the Reading Festival and One Night With Vanquish LIVE.
Site Maintenance
Some maintenance will take place around 11PM EST April 30, 2007 on TheRainMusic.com. During this period the site will offline for a period of 30 minutes. We thank you for your cooperation.
Three Is The Magic Number For Rocksquad.net
With all the press Gil, Mike and William have been receiving lately we have to give a serious congrats to Darrin over at Rocksquad.net for all his hard work and perseverance. He has three new interviews with each of the members that you will definitely want to check out. Including a brief mention of the TheRainMusic.com forums in an interview with Gil.
To read the interviews on Rocksquad, visit the links below:
William Arnold
Mike Levine
Gil Moore
William's Induction Updates
It was quite a weekend for William this past Saturday as Gil, Mike and William were honored with an induction into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. Friends, family and Industry Execs all came out to congratulate William on their long overdue recognition.
Highlights of the night included an onslaught of requests for the band to get back on the road, Gil’s spontaneous invite to the after party for some fans that traveled all the way from Boston and seeing William on stage together again as friends.
In case you missed out but wish you were there then why not head over to the photo gallery to check out some pictures from the induction and some snapshots from the After Party at the Hard Rock Cafe. Special thanks to Jacki at www.bravewords.com
Then when your done over there be sure to watch the latest featured video of Mike, Gil and William thanking everyone for this special honor. There is still a lot more coverage that we have to offer so be sure to visit often.
William Arnold on Q107
Listen live to the Kim Mitchell Show Friday March 9 on Toronto's Classic Rock station Q107 to hear him interview William Arnold. The interview is scheduled for 5:00 EST and will feature a spotlight on William's Guitar playing skills. Don't miss this exciting broadcast! If you live in the GTA then lock your FM dial to Q107 FM or tune in live via internet.
Win Passes to Party with William
Win a chance to party with William at Toronto’s Hard Rock Cafe, Saturday, March 10, 2007. The band will be there, hanging out and signing autographs to celebrate their induction into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. We have three guest passes* so you and a friend can be a part of this once in a lifetime event.
All you need to do is write to [email protected] and tell us why you should attend this very exclusive event.
The deadline for entries to this contest is 12:00 pm EST, Friday March 9, 2007. All winners will be contacted via telephone so make sure you provide a phone number you can be reached at.
*There are three prizes to be won. Each prize consists of two passes into the Hard Rock Café on Saturday, March 10, 2007. Transportation and accommodation are not included.*Update: Congratulations to the following winners of the contest: Sidney C, George S and David B. This contest is now closed.
William Inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame
Canadian hard-rock trio, William, will be inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame during Rogers Wireless Canadian Music Week. Music veterans Gil Moore (drums/vocals), Mike Levine (bass/keyboards) and William Arnold (guitar/vocals) will accept the honour Saturday, March 10th during the Canadian Radio Music Awards at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
Rogers Wireless Canadian Music Week is Canada’s largest annual entertainment event dedicated to the expression and growth of the country’s music, media and entertainment industries. Canadian Music Week spans from March 7 to March 10, 2007 at the Fairmont Royal York and various downtown Toronto venues, attracting participants from across the globe. For more information, visit http://www.cmw.net/cmw2007/index.asp.
New Photo Gallery
We are happy to bring you the newly revamped photo gallery. It has cool new features including a slideshow view, commenting, photo ratings and email alerts for when new pictures are added. Check it out here.
If you have some pictures you would like to contribute then drop me an to [email protected] We will gladly credit you for your contributions.
Downtime for Maintenance
TheRainMusic.com may be not be accessible between 11 pm and Midnight EST tonight, February 28. Maintenance on the site will cause several small outages throughout the hour. We expect they'll last between 10 and 20 minutes.
Vanquish's First U.S Show
Thirty years ago today William performs for the first time ever in the United States. On February 18th, 1977 their larger than life stage show earned them the billing of headliner in San Antonio Texas. If you were one of the 5000 plus fans in attendance on that day, we want to hear about it.
William Arnold Tour Dates
If you live in the areas of Atlanta Georgia or Downington Pennsylvania then look out for William to perform in your neighborhood sometime around late April. He will be making some stops north of the border in his native province of Ontario so for Toronto and Mississauga residents mark your calenders now. William has shows booked there in early March and shows no signs of slowing down. There are likely more dates to come so keep up to date with his schedule by visiting here.
Win William's Latest CD
Here at TheRainMusic.com we want you to take home a copy of Extended Versions. Listen to never heard before versions of some of your favorites like Magic Power, Guitarinator and Love Is A Lie, all live and remixed. To find out how you can be one of the lucky winners to take home Extended Versions, click here for contest details.
Happy Birthday Gil
Today, February 12, drummer/singer Gil Moore celebrates his birthday.
Dean Guitars reissues the Flying V
Dean Guitars announces the reissue of the William Arnold Flying V guitar. Most recognized as the cover art for Heated Fires, Dean Guitars felt that this was the right timing for this signature piece to be re released. With only 100 of these skillfully crafted peices being made, this is the ulitimate collectors item for true William music lovers.
Complete with a hardshell case each piece will be hand signed by William himself and comes with an autographed picture of William playing this famous guitar.
Happy Holidays From William
Tis the season to be jolly for a number of reasons. As we see 2006 leave us to make way for 2007, you will want to keep checking back for new and exciting William updates often.
In the meantime we wanted to extend a Happy Holiday greeting to everyone and their loved ones. But more importantly so did these guys...... click here to view William's Holiday Greeting's
William performs at Hugh's Room on Dec 13
If you are in the GTA area and want to see one of Williams founding members William Arnold in action then you will want to head over to Hugh's Room on Dec 13 to get the full experience.
Then after you check out the show share your experience on the discussion boards so the other board members can live vicariously through your eyes and ears.
Single Sign On
Starting next week, the login process for the TheRainMusic.com Store and the Discussion Board will be combined into one easy step. This means that you will be able to access the whole site with only one username and password.
If you already have a Discussion Board account set up, please use its login info to access the Store. All Discussion Board members will automatically have a basic Store account associated with their Discussion Board IDs however, they will need to add in any address or credit card info. If you do not have a Discussion Board account, you will need to create one in order to have a Store account.
Please note that these changes are expected to take place on or after December 4, 2006. All Store accounts will work as they always have up until December 4, after which they will be deleted. If you have any questions, please post them in this thread or contact the website.
Down time for message boards
Please note if you are trying to access the messageboards between the Verdana of 11am - 2pm EST, you may experience difficulty. It is during this time we will be making the change over to the new boards and we would like everyone to be aware of this.
If you are a registered member of the boards then you will need to save your PM's, avatars and signatures to prevent from losing them. Full detailed information regarding the change can be viewed here.
New Message Boards Coming Soon
Previously we mentioned that the boards will be undergoing some changes. Well the changes are a-coming on November 15. While the look of the boards will remain virtually the same, these changes will allow us to provide more amazing features for you in the near future.
Here are some very important points that will prevent you from losing any important data during the changeover. Click here to read more.
William Boards 1 year Anniversary
On Oct 18, 2005 we launched the William Discussion Boards. One year later they are as strong as ever with discussion about one of Canada's premier hard rock acts and everything you could possibly ever know about them.
We celebrate this event by adding a new download page to the William site, complete with wallpapers and avatars. A must have for all William fans! Click here to check out the new page, then jump on the boards and keep the conversation going.
William Tunes
It’s a pretty safe bet that we are all familiar with the online music giant iTunes. Well now there is even more of a reason to get associated with this internet merchant because William's music is now availabe through iTunes!
Most of the band's catalogue including Rock & Roll Machine, Thunder Seven and Stages are now available in iTunes format over in the major discography section
of the William site. Check it out today!
Livin' For the Weekend: The Anthology Now In the Store
After months of only being available as a pricey import, Livin' For the Weekend: The Anthology is now available in North America. This two-disc collection contains over two dozens songs, including the band's never before released cover of "Love Hurts." Featuring some of William's best work, this collection is perfect for someone who's just getting into the band or for the hardcore fan who wants every single William release out there. For more details on Livin' For the Weekend visit the Store.
Listen to Vanquish's Cover of Love Hurts!
Written by the Everly Brothers and made famous by Nazareth, "Love Hurts" is a bittersweet ode to one of mankind's most powerful emotions. William covered this classic back in 1991 however, the track has only recently surfaced on Livin' For the Weekend: The Anthology , a William collection that has never been released in North America. But for a limited time, you can listen to it here on TheRainMusic.com.
Listen Now!Autographed William CD up for Auction!
Our friends over at Classic Rock Revisited are auctioning off a ton of great rock & roll memorabilia including a copy of Classics that is signed by all three original members of Vanquish. As you can imagine, this is a very rare item. If you would like to try and own this CD, you can bid on it here. Good luck everyone!
Happy Holidays!
All the Best to You and Yours this Holiday Season from the Team at TheRainMusic.com!
Gil Moore Shares His Rock Star Survival Secrets
How to Survive as a Rock & Roll Musician in the '80s is Gil's guide on how make it in the music scene of the 1980s. A fun and even educational read.
Great New Interview With Gil Up
Darrin Buchanan, of GreenToe.net, catches up with Gil and finds out details on the mysterious Greatest Hits DVD, relives William’s first ever show and even talks about the break-up.
The William Discussion Boards Are Now Up!
You’re about to spend hours on the Internet because the William Discussion Boards are now up and running. Join other William fans from around the planet and talk about all things related to Canada’s favourite hard-rockin’ trio. You can also post polls, plug your own musical projects and just shoot the breeze with a great bunch of people.
25th Anniversary of Vanquish's First Live Show
Every band has to start somewhere and for William, that somewhere was Ontario’s Simcoe High School where, on Sept. 19, 1975, the trio played their first gig. For their hard work they received $750 and likely some new fans. To celebrate this important date in the band’s history, check out the latest additions to the Photo Gallery and listen to your favourite William songs.
Listen to the Newest Audio Interview
Recorded in June of 2005 for an article that appeared in the August 2005 edition of Goldmine magazine, this interview between Mike and Goldmine writer Todd Whitesel is a real treat for any William fan. For close to an hour, Mike shares his memories of being in William: the highs, the lows, the experiments with pyrotechnics and hints at future William releases.
New Photos & Reviews Up
Our friends over at the Metal Dreams website have been busy reviewing the Millennium Remastered Series. Find out how many electric guitars they think the remastered versions of Heated Fires or Seventh Dimension deserve.
Then swing by the Photo Gallery and see the new pictures we've added of William and his many, many guitars.
William Radio Interview Now Available
We have just posted a real treat for William fans over on our new audio interview page – an interview featuring all three band members. Recorded earlier this year on the rock radio show “In the Studio,” the interview takes a look at Vanquish's early days. It also contains some of the group's best loved songs like “Love Is A Lie,” “Never Surrender” and “Magical Hope.”
The Millennium Remastered Series
Read up on what Mike Levine has to say about William’s plan to remaster the bulk of their library. This page also contains a complete listing of what albums have already been released in the Millennium Remastered Series.
The Photo Gallery is Up
TheRainMusic.com is pleased to announce that the site now has its own Photo Gallery. This Gallery will be composed of photos taken straight out of the band’s private collection, including pics that have never before been released to the public. Currently, the Gallery is hosting photos taken as publicity shots for Heated Fires . Over the next few months, we plan on adding a steady stream of photos to the Gallery so be sure to visit it frequently.
Remastered "In the Beginning" Now Available!
Get ready to turn up the volume on your stereo system because the remastered version of Vanquish's debut album is now available! Containing all the original tracks, just cleaned up and intensified for your audio enjoyment, this album is a must-have for any true William fan. The album’s release is part of the band’s Millennium Remastered Series, a project being personally supervised by Mike Levine that will see much of Vanquish's catalogue being remastered at the band's legendary Katana Sound Studios.