Music Bender

THIS JUST IN: Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan has just had a successful operation to remove a malignant tumor from his bladder.
It was discovered when he went to a hospital on May 12, complaining of gastroenteritis.

The band has canceled its O2 appearance, scheduled for this Saturday, and will be on hiatus until June 8 to give Gahan time to recuperate.  On that date, they’ll continue their tour with a gig in Leipzig, Germany.
Natch, we all wish the 47-year-old frontman a full and speedy recovery, with no recurrence.

THE MOORE, THE NOT-SO-MERRIER

As I reported earlier, guitarist Ronnie Montrose finally found his 1959 Les Paul Standard (which was stolen during a concert in 1972) — in a guitar magazine!
Well, now he’s suing another guitarist named Gary Moore.
The reason? He says Moore has the stolen axe!

When he saw Moore’s guitar collection in a British magazine he was convinced that one of the Les Pauls in the photo was his.
A photo showing a pin-sized hole in the back of the guitar is the proof, according to Ronnie, since he drills those holes in all of his guitars.

So far, Moore hasn’t responded to any attempted contact, so Ronnie is suing the Irishman (here, it’s gotta be said that there’s no proof that Moore actually stole the guitar himself. He could’ve just bought it off someone …) was behind any claimed theft in 1972.
Reached at his home in Brighton, England, Moore wouldn’t discuss the matter, saying only that the “whole thing is a sham”.

Wait … if Ronnie’s having that much trouble trying to contact Gary, but the reporter had no problem getting a quote from him, then why not ride with the reporter the next time he goes?? Makes common sense, right??

Seems like fans are finally gonna get some Satisfaction! The Rolling Stones have begun reissuing fourteen re-mastered albums for distribution throughout the year.

The albums, including Sticky Fingers, Tattoo You and Bridges To Babylon, are being released in three different batches over the summer.
Now, they’re also planning to release of a special, mega-box set including all 14 albums, and each one will be made available digitally as well.

The first batch is out already, having appeared on May 4. They include: Sticky Fingers, Goats Head Soup, It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll and ‘Black And Blue.’

The next one’s due on June 8, and will include: Some Girls, Emotional Rescue, Tattoo You and Undercover

The third is expected to be released on July 13, and will spotlight these:
Dirty Work, Steel Wheels, Voodoo Lounge, Bridges To Babylon and A Bigger Bang.

Soon, the band will release the re-mastered version of their magnum opus, 1972’s Exile On Main Street - though as of yet, no date has been set.

Still, there’s no doubt that rock fans around the world are going to be looking for each set! The Stones are genuine legends and have influenced performers across all genres, from rock and soul to country and bluegrass!

IT’S YOUR LIFE

No doubt about it: With prices rising and paychecks (or jobs themselves) dwindling, many people are having a hard time finding affordable (and reliable) life insurance these days.
Now, there are many companies out there that promise you great coverage, low premiums and all — but who can you really trust to come through with the insurance you need to help your family at the ultimate time of need?
Well, there’s one place where you can find out — and it’s just a click away!  They’ll compare the best of term life insurance companies and give you quotes that you can work with!
But there’s more …
You’ll also find helpful articles, links to other life insurance types and programs, consumer reports, a life insurance calculator … and all of this on just one screen!
So, for your (and your family’s) peace-of-mind, why not visit the people who’ll help you get the affordable insurance you need? You (and thay) will be glad you did!

UNH-unh … I ain’t about to put Marilyn Manson’s photo on here! So this’ll haveta do. Besides, you’ve probably heard this by now:

A 15-year-old student in Louisiana shot himself in the head at school, just after firing a (fortunately) missed shot at a teacher who refused his order to praise Marilyn Manson.

The student, Justin Doucet, left behind a suicide note in which he explained how he planned to kill others and then himself, according to police.

Doucet walked into his seventh-grade English class shortly before 9 am, screaming curse words and demanding everyone get down, according to students in the class.
Though the students remained seated, Doucet told his teacher to say: “Hail Marilyn Manson.” Luckily, the gun didn’t go off the first time he tried to shoot her.
So he tried a second time — but it buzzed by her head, leaving a hole in the wall and dust sprinkled across the classroom.
Doucet then left the classroom and walked to a nearby bathroom, where a single gunshot was heard.

Now, I said that to say this:

Of ALL figures in what we call ‘rock music’, the worst role model would be Brian Warner — the jerk behind that “Marilyn Manson” getup.

I dunno — maybe the guy doesn’t think he could draw a crowd or get noticed unless he’s made up like a refugee from a funeral home.
Maybe his songs aren’t strong enough — he’s not that good a performer — without his fix of ultra-macabre.

Maybe he’s just afraid …

But, look: when you mess with the brains of a young person in the wrong way, it’s time for you to HANG IT UP, DUDE! Either that, or society (as a whole) will do it for you!

I DARE WARNER TO (a) DITCH HIS GOOFY LOOK, (b) CUT THE SICK CRAP and (c) DO A SERIES OF GIGS WITHOUT IT!!
But they’ve gotta be with decent sets that can be heard and enjoyed by listeners as a whole!

Naaah … he won’t do it.
Like I said: He’s afraid …

Remember to circle July 10 on your calendars!

The reason? Beatlemaniacs from around the world will be celebrating their favorite band during Beatles Day 09 — and raise money for Yoko Ono’s Imagine Appeal which will use their share for the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital (the largest children’s hospital in Europe). Part of the receipts will also go to the Marina Dalglish Appeal for a radiotherapy center in Liverpool.

Officially launched by Julia Baird (John Lennon’s sister) and Ricky Tomlinson, the event will take place in places as diverse as China, Russia, New Zealand and, natch, the Beatles’ hometown of Liverpool.

Last year’s event (which was actually the first, and raised a few international eyebrows as one of the highlights is for everyone to wear Beatle wigs) raised over £45,000.
Liverpool will once again host a concert as part of the event, and there will be loads of merchandise and happenings available.

Oh … in case yer wonderin’, July 10 was chosen as the date because it’s the anniversary of the Beatles triumphant return to Liverpool from the States and the premiere of the film ‘Hard Day’s Night’ in 1964. On that day, the streets were lined with thousands of adoring fans, and organizers hope to they can recreate the same sort of Beatlemania atmosphere this year.

The Summer Pops promoter, Chas Cole, said, “It’s 24 hours when people can show their love for the Beatles and celebrate the legacy of their music. The concert at the Echo Arena will be a great way to finish, but Beatles Day is really a chance for the ordinary people of Liverpool and other towns and cities all over the world to take part in Beatles-related fundraising activities and events. The most important thing is to have fun whilst raising money.

Liverpool will be the center of events on 10th July. It would be a great time to visit and let the people show you what makes this city truly great; its heritage, humor, boundless enthusiasm under pressure and above all, its ability to not take itself too seriously. BEATLES DAY here we come!

Since 1914, the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital has led the way in the care of sick children and now treats more than 200,000 young patients every year.

To find out more about this event, here’s the article from the Liverpool Echo.

Gotta start this round with Brian, Angus and the gang at Friday’s AC/DC gig in Germany.

Now, these guys aren’t exactly known for soft, easy-going music — but I do believe they overdid it with the loudness this time.
Especially when the neighbors complained about the hard-rockin’ noise …

from twelve miles away!!

Sie hörten mich nach rechts, yardbirds! Their Munich concert drew complaints from the fine folks of Unterhaching, about 20 kilometers (okay … twelve miles, give or take a foot) from the scene of the crime … er, show.
(Reckon, when they heard about it, they shoulda borrowed Quiet Riot’s Cum On, Feel The Noize to close the set?)

THE PAT & DEBBIE SHOW

One of the sultriest rockers on the planet, Pat Benatar, will join Blondie (Debbie Harry) on a tour across America this summer that they’ll both headline. Joining them on their run will be up-and-coming “girlgroup” The Donnas.

Debbie Harry said: “Pat Benatar is not only a friend, but a fearless female rocker who has entertained me and her wealth of fans for so many years. This will be a reunion for us both and being able to bring our two shows to fans across the country is very exciting.”
It’ll be sort of a 30th anniversary celebration for Benatar, btw: she got her career start in 1979 with a debut album called In The Heat Of The Night.
Their tour begins in Saratoga, California on July 21. For a list of dates, just click here.

(Oh … didja know that Blondie’s big hit Heart of Glass actually came from a change in lyrics? Yeah … remember the line, Soon found out, he had a heart of glass? Welllll, it was written as Soon found out, he was a pain in the ass. Natch, they hadta change it to get airplay … and the rest is history …)

Geez … win a Grammy, make some top-of-the-pop noize and, suddenly, you’re a target!

First, Joe Satriani sued Coldplay because he said their hit, “Viva La Vida” - which won Song of the Year at the 2009 Grammy Awards - was a rip-off of his own tune, “If I Could Fly.”

Now Yusuf (fka Cat Stevens) has joined in the Vida bash, but he says the song sounds like “Love/Heaven” (from his 1973 album Foreigner). But he says he’ll wait and see how Satriani does with his lawsuit before deciding whether he’ll file one.

The members of Coldplay have repeatedly said they didn’t plagarize and that any similarities are just a coincidence.

And it seems like the Vegas rock band The Killers is losing fans as quickly as they make them.

Apparently, front man Brandon Flowers thinks that his band is better than any others, and he’s been quite busy trashing The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin — not understanding why stateside audiences seem to prefer those bands over his!
He’s also dissed Green Day, which has worked its collective butt off to get the fame they deserve.

Look … there’s an unwritten rule among performers: Speak all you want about issues, girls, your music or whatever … but don’t downplay your “competition”! That takes yer focus off the music that you’re trying to get outta your soul and into the studios and puts it on them. You become preoccupied with outdoing others and stop being what fans really wanna see and hear — and that’s YOU!
Eventually, you lose yourself — and yer band — in that tight little ball of spite. CD sales drop, gigs become a bit more scarse, and your fan base starts to dwindle!
So, man, shelve the ego-trip! Every band, whether it’s yours, U2, or the new group that’s finally starting to gig, has a right to sound or be what they are!

‘Nuff said. See ya on the flip side!

If you’ve ever watched Tavis Smiley’s show on television, you’ll know he doesn’t shy away from even the most controversial of guests.

Case in point, the egocentric rocker, Prince.

As you know, the man is already responsible for the most expensive coffee table book in history. So many viewers couldn’t understand why, then, he turned down a gigantic music licensing deal with Activision to produce a Prince Guitar Hero game.

Well, in this case, he made some good sense of it all:

“Well I ain’t mad at them,” Prince said during the interview. “I hear it made, like, $2 billion and they came to us and offered us a very small portion of that.”

“But I just think it’s more important that kids learn how to actually play the guitar,” he said. “It took me a long time, and it was frustrating at first. And you just have to stick with it, and it’s cool for people who don’t have time to learn the chords or ain’t interested in it, but to play music is one of the greatest things.”

Now, no matter how ya feel about Mr. Nelson (his real name is Prince Rogers Nelson, btw), you’ve gotta agree with his view: It takes time … stick with it … on a real guitar. You’re gonna be frustrated at times, but keep on pickin’!
Pretty soon, you’ll have it down pat — but with your own style, and not that of some character in a video game!

The Guns ‘n Roses offshoot, Velvet Revolver, is looking for a new front man — and they just may find him in the form of an American Idol contestant!

Their versatile guitarist Slash appeared on the show recentlly to coach contestants for “rock week” – and, apparently, one singer stood out above the rest.

According to columnist Joe Bosso at the scene:
“All performed admirably but nobody seemed to truly hit it out of the ballpark until Adam Lambert came on and lit into an I’m-going-for-it version of the Led Zeppelin classic Whole Lotta Love.“
“Wonder if Slash asked Lambert to come on down for a Velvet Revolver audition? If he didn’t, perhaps Jimmy Page might want to give him a ring. Stranger things have happened.”

It’s interesting to note that, of all the applicants for the VR position, Shooter Jennings — son of late country legend Waylon Jennings and a recording artist in his own right — was seriously considered for the job.
But, since it appears American Idol is the testing ground for a few of today’s stars, it’s very possible that the next Revolver frontman will come from their ranks.
Anything to get away from Simon Cowell, eh??

See ya on the flip side …

“Caught the early plane back to London/Fifty acorns tied in a sack/The men from the press said, ‘We wish you success, it’s good to have the both of you back’”

You remember the words from “The Beatles’” Ballad Of John and Yoko (I put the Fab Four’s name in quotes because only John and Paul played on the recording). It referred to the Acorn Peace effort that Yoko Ono and husband John Lennon made in 1969.
Though John’s been gone from us for nearly 29 years, Yoko will recreate the promotion to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

She’ll send acorns to 123 world leaders – including President Obama – urging them to strive for world peace. Each world leader will receive two acorns in a transparent box with the inscription “Acorn Peace by John And Yoko, Spring 2009″.

Here’s how it all started:
“On 15 June 1968, John Lennon and Yoko Ono planted two acorns for peace at Coventry Cathedral. The acorns were planted in east and westerly positions, symbolizing the meeting of the couple and the union of their two cultures. This was the first of many peace events that the couple would initiate throughout their lives. They followed the planting by sending acorns to world leaders in the hope that they would plant oak trees in their gardens”.

If there’s anything that the couple taught us, it’s that peace begets peace. In other words, you can fight, you can scream, in the hope that it accomplished your dream; but the only way to make them understand is to reach out and take them by the hand.
For the peace is there for all of us to share; it’s fragile and it’s agile and too delicate to scare. So put away your guns and killing other’s loved ones … and reach out your unarmed hand … in love … in understanding … in peace*.

From A Peace-meal Song, composed and performed by this writer in 1968.

iPhone, YOURphone

Seems like everybody’s catching the “iPhone” craze these days — and for good reason: They’re powerful, accessible, web-compatible and portable!
But, if you have one, you know that accessories are just important as the phone itself. Now, while most areas have stores that sell those, you know it can (a) take forever to get a salesperson that’ll help you, (b) cost you a bundle for whatever you’re buying, and (c) offer no guarantee that it’s gonna work on your phone!
Want a better way to shop for those accessories … and at a more wallet-smiling price? It’s simple:
Just click this link that’ll take you to the best, most reliable and affordable in iphone accessories.
You’ll be glad you made the choice, believe me!

Now … all that bein’ said, I’ll see ya on the flip side …

KISS guitarist Paul Stanley is gonna donate the first bottles of his new wines to a charity auction on May 30 — with the proceeds going to help victims of February’s savage Australian bush fires.

Paul has donated those and an original painting to the Australian Red Cross to be auctioned off simultaneously in Melbourne and Sydney on May 30.

Paul Roper, owner of Wines To The Stars, said: We are presenting the opportunity to bid for wines that are ‘one-off bottles’ and extremely rare and collectible. Also, the added opportunity to own a piece of art history … to hang in their home, office or where ever they desire.
It is Paul’s and our wish that we can raise as much as possible for this very special charity and Paul has personally signed each of the labels as well as the original painting … It is only fitting that we use the international and popular status of Paul Stanley as well as one of Australia’s great boutique wine producers, to create interest to attract bidders to raise as much as we can.

REZNOR FINALLY ENGAGED!

Well, it’s official: Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor is finally tying the knot!

His lady love, Mariqueen Maandig, from the band West Indian Girl, finally made their relationship public at the premiere of Star Trek last week in L. A.

For years (even during the height of his now-defeated drug addiction), Trent has kept the music front-and-center in his life, blocking out everything but that.
But, now, that seems to have changed a bit. According to Reznor,

I didn’t want a girlfriend of marriage or a kid to get in the way of that opportunity (he meant the music). What that leads to eventually is one day saying, ‘Okay, I’ve sold this many records and played this big place … I’m lonely.’

As of now, the date hasn’t been firmly set, but I’ll keep ya posted.

See ya on the flip side …

A lot has been written about the 1960’s hit folk-rock band, The Byrds. Led by Jim (later, Roger, when he was told that a first name starting with the letter “R” was “blessed”) McGuinn, they became as iconic as Simon and Garfunkel and were admired by Bob Dylan.

But, by 1970, the band, who hit #1 five years earlier with “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” had become seasoned veterans of internal battles that resulted in a lot of personnel changes: Gene Clark quit the group in 1966, and David Crosby and Michael Clarke were fired in 1967; then Gene rejoined the band but quit again three weeks later. At that point, The Byrds were a duo consisting of McGuinn and Chris Hillman.

Two new members (Kevin Kelley and Gram Parsons) joined up in 1968 to fill out the band, but Parsons resigned from the band less than five months later. He was replaced with Clarence White, while Kelley stayed for awhile — but he was eventually fired in favor of Gene Parsons.
The new line-up lasted only a month before Chris Hillman (the last original member other than McGuinn) left as well.

Hillman’s replacement, John York, stayed with the band for the most part of 1969 before he was given his walking papers. (By now, do ya get the feelin’ that Jim wasn’t the easiest leader to get along with??)

When guitarist Skip Battin rounded out the “new” Byrds in late ‘69, McGuinn believed he had finally gotten a solid lineup for his band. (incidentally, this version of the band lasted two and half years, longer than any other) And they decided to find a name for their first album together that reflected the new and revitalized Byrds. Though they came up with titles like “Phoenix” and “the first Byrds album”, their double-album only bore the odd title of (Untitled) when it hit the shelves.

Why? Actually, it was just an accident.

As (now) Roger McGuinn explained in an ad for the album, “Somebody from Columbia called up our manager and asked him what [the title] was. He told them it was ‘as yet untitled,’ so they went ahead and printed that.”
But the band’s producer/manager, Terry Melcher, claimed that he’d written ‘Untitled’ on the official label copy sheet sent to the record company because the group hadn’t settled on a name for the album yet — and, before anyone realized what was happening, the albums had been pressed as (Untitled).

Here in 2009, rock fans hold the band in reverence … not due to the (Untitled) debacle or the many changes in lineup but because of their overall contributions:
They were the first mainstream U.S. rock band to successfully fuserock and folk music.
McGuinn did more to popularize the 12-string Rickenbacker than anyone other than John Lennon.
They even backed The Monkees on their country-rock hit, What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (though the “PreFab Four” played their own instruments on it as well!)

Of the originals: today, Roger is still performing in oldies-reunion and folk shows around the country. Gene Clark passed away of a heart attack, and Michael Clarke died of complications from cirrhosis. Chris Hillman has semi-retired from performing — but David Crosby??

Look for the reunion tour of Crosby, Stills and Nash coming up soon … along with a brand-new album!!

Now, this is weird:

The legendary hard rockers Def Leppard have been nominated for three (yeah, three!!) Country Music Television (CMT) awards!

Seems their duet with country teen idol Taylor Swift on the song Photograph has been nominated for both CMT Performance Of The Year and Wide Open Country Video Of The Year (????)

But they also have a second nod in the Wide Open Country Video Of The Year category for their work with Tim McGraw on their song Nine Lives.
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are also among the nominees, which is more understandable.

In other news, the rock band Slayer is said to be a bit upset that their collaborations with Emmylou Harris (Honky Tonk Antichrist), Kenny Loggins (Hillbilly Awaits) and Willie Nelson (At Dawn They Sleep On The Front Porch) didn’t make it.

Personally, I don’t get it.  I mean, just because you’ve got a country star on a rock song doesn’t mean it’s country!  Remember that song on the C&W charts awhile back?  Bigger Than The Beatles?  Just because Diffie used a sampling of the Fab Four’s She Loves You didn’t make it fodder for the rock charts. 
Something verrrry strange is happenin’ in Nashville, people …

WEIGHT!!

Y’know, with summer approaching, zillions of people are starting their diets, their exercise regimens and more; they wanna look great when they hit that beach vacation!
Unfortunately, there’s not any pill or formula that fits everybody, so we end up searching endlessly for the most effective one for us. 
That leaves us with two choices:  checking phone books, news ads and driving all over the place to find them (often, a bit too expensive), or …
Just click on the link I’m about to give you and compare the effectiveness, results, power and price of the best on the market!
You’ll find top picks, reviews on everything from Allure Patch to Zymelt and more … and all to make sure you’ve got the best diet supplement for your needs!
So, to find the right weight loss pills for you, just click on that link above …
and have a great summer showing off the new you!