Search Results for: Alan Day

Fans of “The Lord of the Rings” films know him as Frodo Baggins, but in plain technical terms, the cutest hobbit ever to shuffle onto the screen, in the guise of actor Elijah Wood, was essentially a storage transfer medium. Compact, sweet by design and capable of delivering precious goods to far-flung destinations, Frodo is to Middle Earth what Apple’s iPod is to modern-day digital media. Just as Frodo exists basically to transport that precious ring to where it needs to go, “Rings” master Peter Jackson found a way to make Apple’s iPod all about helping him get his digital… Read more »

The stage’s platforms, ramps and angular slabs of metal made it look like a futuristic factory floor, and Linkin Park proved to be the gleaming machine that keeps the warehouse in brisk business. In concert at Nassau Coliseum Sunday night, the band was precise and efficient, the members taking on their roles like theater veterans. They ran from side to side without colliding, waved their arms in tandem, leapt from oversized milk crates and waded into the crowd to spread the Linkin love. And for added flair, they brought out an acrobatic breakdancer during “Nobody’s Listening.” Their musical performance was… Read more »

Members of the Nation of Islam have begun playing a role in Michael Jackson’s affairs, sources close to the Jackson camp tell The Associated Press, although the controversial group denies having any official part in the pop star’s life. Jackson insiders, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AP that Nation of Islam members have handled security at the singer’s Neverland ranch and have began taking over some of Jackson’s business affairs since he was accused of committing lewd acts on a child. The group, which in the past has been accused of anti-Semitism and inflammatory, separatist rhetoric, issued a… Read more »

After Simple Plan finish their 2004 headlining tour, the French Canadian pop punkers will hit the studio to work on their second record. And they won’t be starting from scratch. They’ve already written the skeletons for 10 to 15 new songs, not including the new track “Crash and Burn,” which was on a bonus three-song audio CD included with their recent “A Big Package for You: 1999-2003” DVD. The song, which balances an insistent punk beat and buzzing guitars with harmonized vocals, is about the difficulties of returning home after being on the road. “Being away from our families and… Read more »

Metallica and Godsmack are gearing up for a 2004 North American arena tour which could stretch as far as 80 dates, Billboard.com has learned. The trek will begin March 2 in Phoenix; other confirmed dates include March 8 in San Francisco and March 28 in Seattle. The first batch of ticket on-sales will begin Saturday (Dec. 20) via Ticketmaster. Metallica has already committed to the Big Day Out tour of Australia and New Zealand after the first of the year, plus European festival dates beginning in late May and stretching into July. The group is touring in support of its… Read more »

Berklee College of Music, the world’s largest independent music college and the premier institution for the study of contemporary music announce the launch of Berklee Shares. This groundbreaking new program provides free music lessons and encourages musicians to share and distribute these music lessons online. The Berklee Shares lessons are available at no charge and are made up of a growing catalog of MP3s, QuickTime movies and PDF files derived from curriculum developed at the college by its world-renowned faculty. The lessons are available today for free download on http://www.berkleeshares.com/ affiliate partner sites and peer-to-peer networks including Limewire and Kazaa.… Read more »

If you can believe it, Britney Spears would like people to focus on her music, not her midriff. But seeing is believing, and since the debut of her music video “I’m a Slave 4 U” two years ago, fans have seen Spears take an increasingly provocative journey into sexual exhibitionism. From her love life to her infamous MTV Video Music Awards kiss with Madonna to her National Football League kickoff concert and her most recent performance in New York’s Times Square, the artist has tested the limits of her sexuality. But now comes the moment of truth. With her new… Read more »

International artists are joining MTV in a multimedia campaign to raise awareness of the impact of HIV and AIDS in South Africa. The “46664” initiative takes its name from the prisoner number of former South African president Nelson Mandela when he was jailed under the apartheid regime in his country. Mandela is the figurehead of the new campaign. He was in London for the Oct. 21 launch of 46664, which will deliver a concert, CD and DVD and organize a global petition on AIDS. “AIDS today in Africa is claiming more lives than the sum total of all wars, famines… Read more »

Who says a dollar doesn’t get you anywhere these days? Come November, a buck will be enough to get you into a Blink-182 show when they embark on a rare club tour. “We’re paying for this [show] ourselves,” singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge said recently. “It’s a chance for us to just come back together because we always play gigantic stages. Mark, Travis and I are always like 30 feet away from each other so we get to come back closer and remember what it’s like. It’s so much fun to play in the smaller places.” The DollaBill Tour launches November 6… Read more »

White Stripes singer/guitarist Jack White plays guitar on the debut single from Detroit alt-country act Blanche, called “Who’s To Say.” The seven-inch, 45 R.P.M. vinyl disc can be ordered directly from Blanche’s label at cassrecords.com. The White Stripes themselves covered the tune on the B-side of their single, “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself.” Blanche’s full-length debut album, If We Can’t Trust The Doctors… is due out in January of 2004. White is expected to show up on that release as well. The White Stripes will be touring Australia, New Zealand, and Japan through most of October.… Read more »