Search Results for: The Aces

U.S. shock rocker Marilyn Manson is the target of a criminal inquiry in Switzerland, after a religious group made a formal complaint about his stage act. Zurich District Prosecutor Michael Scherrer told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the artist was under investigation for allegedly breaching Swiss law protecting religion as well as making incitements to violence during a concert in the city in February 2001. Manson – whose real name is Brian Warner – and his band members take their first names from pop culture icons and their surnames from famous serial killers. He also uses the sobriquet “Antichrist… Read more »

Linkin Park’s planned concert in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur is being protested by an Islamist opposition group. The group called Parti Islam se-Malaysia says the band’s presence could contribute to moral decay within the youth of the country. They have urged the government to overturn its previous decision to let the band play. Linkin Park is scheduled to perform at the city’s 50,000-seat Merdeka Stadium on October 15. The band must adhere to a strict code of “performance ethics” that includes the following restrictions: “Male artists must cover their bodies from the chest to knee level…the artist must… Read more »

R.E.M. has posted video footage of the band rehearsing for their current world tour on their official website, remhq.com. The video was recently shot at the band’s studios in Vancouver, British Columbia. Those who visit remhq.com will be able to see R.E.M. perform four songs, including “She Just Wants To Be,” “Walk Unafraid,” “Get Up,” and “Maps And Legends”-which dates back to the band’s third album, 1985’s Fables And Reconstruction. R.E.M. is currently touring in Europe. The North American leg begins August 29 in Vancouver.

EMI Group, home to stars from the Rolling Stones to Norah Jones, came under more pressure to find a suitor on Wednesday after its debt was slashed to “junk,” sending its shares to their lowest level in more than 10 years. EMI, the world’s third-largest music company, saw its stock slump 13 percent after Moody’s slashed its debt below investment grade late on Tuesday on concerns about the weak outlook for the music industry, stoking fears about the group’s profits and dividend. Faced with an increasingly gloomy outlook, EMI has been in talks in recent months with two rivals –… Read more »

Songwriters and music publishers have filed a $17 billion lawsuit against German media giant Bertelsmann AG, claiming that their investment in Napster constitutes copyright infringement. The case was filed late Wednesday in U.S District Court of New York. Plaintiffs in the suit include songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, whose hits include “Hound Dog” and “Stand by Me,” and music publisher Peer International Corp. Of note is that the lawsuit is seeking class-action status for other music publishers represented by the Harry Fox Agency. If this were to happen, BMG Music Publishing, which is a division of Bertelsmann, would… Read more »

Britain’s latest manufactured pop groups were forced to hold back their tears Wednesday after promoters canceled their debut 11-night “Popstars” tour. Boy band One True Voice and their chart-topping female rivals Girls Aloud had been due to begin the two weeks of arena concerts on March 1. Concert promoter Triple A Entertainments and Granada, the producers of the “Popstars” television show, both declined to comment on why the tour was canceled. Media reports suggested tickets had not been selling, but a spokeswoman for the London Arena, where the bands were due to play on March 3, said ticket sales had… Read more »

Boy-band hitmaker Lou Pearlman is the target of a state probe into complaints that hundreds of aspiring models and actors were duped into paying up to $1,500 each for spots on his company’s Web site. Clients say they were led to believe that Pearlman’s company, Trans Continental Talent Inc., would help them find work – not just post their pictures online. The investigation, which began in August, has turned up “hundreds of potential violations” but no one who actually landed a job through the company, Assistant Attorney General Jackie Dowd said. Pearlman, best known for launching the Backstreet Boys and… Read more »

Bon Jovi’s new album, Bounce, is expected to debut in the upper regions of the Billboard 200 on Wednesday (October 16). Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora revealed that he expects the album to battle Elvis Presley (news)’s Elvis: 30 #1 Hits for the top spot. “You know I’m anxious to see how it’s going down. Obviously it’s being well received everywhere else. And right now from what I’m hearing we’re neck-and-neck with the King right now. He’s up yesterday, we’re up today, and it’s like, literally [the difference is] 7,000 records, which is not a lot of records,” he said.… Read more »

Kurt Cobain fans are closer to Nirvana than they have been in years. A studio version of the unreleased Nirvana track “You Know You’re Right” has surfaced online in its entirety. The song, which was reportedly recorded in January 1994, less than three months before frontman Cobain took his own life with a shotgun in his Seattle home, is expected to a appear on the long-awaited Nirvana greatest-hits album, which, according to Courtney Love, is due by Christmas. A Universal Music Group spokesperson, however, said that while the LP would come out, there was no specific release date. By Monday… Read more »

Paul Simon has replaced Paul McCartney at the 25th annual Kennedy Center Honors taking place in Washington in December. Last week, the former Beatle sent his regrets to the organizers of the Kennedy Center Honors, explaining that a personal obligation would not permit him to attend the ceremony on December 7. McCartney’s name will be on the list for 2003 instead. No other details were given about McCartney’s bow out on the event and a call to his representatives were not returned at press time. Simon was named as a replacement, whom the center said would have been honored in… Read more »