Search Results for: america

In Britain, Busted are headlining stadiums. In America, the pop-punk trio are playing parking lots outside stadiums. So which do they prefer? Prepare to be surprised. “It’s awesome at gigs here, because you kind of have to win the crowd over,” bassist Matt Jay said recently. “Like in England, it’s awesome and stuff, but we could just go ‘Bugger!’ and they would go ‘Yeah!’ Which is awesome, but here, you really have to work hard.” “It’s nice to kind of see the first-time reaction of the crowds again,” guitarist James Bourne added. “It’s like it’s a little déjà vu of… Read more »

The age limit for “American Idol” contenders has been raised, but not by much. Two years has been added to the maximum age for the talent competition, which had been 26, Fox TV said Thursday. The minimum is 16. Prompting the change: The fact that so many impressive people older than previously allowed had to be turned away, said Fox programming chief Gail Berman. “I’m sure there are people who are tremendously talented above that but we’re talking about people who hope to have pop careers afterward,” Berman told the Television Critics Association. Auditions for the fourth season begin Aug.… Read more »

Green Day’s first studio album in four years will be titled “American Idiot,” a spokesperson told Billboard.com. The set is tentatively due Sept. 14 via Reprise. It’s the follow-up to 2000’s “Warning,” which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and has sold 998,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Along with No Doubt, Foo Fighters, Bad Religion and others, Green Day is expected to lend a track to “Rock Against Bush Vol. 2,” the second in a series of politically minded compilations due this August. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong will also contribute two songs to… Read more »

What do emo-rockers and child actors have in common? It turns out that The Get Up Kids and Macaulay Culkin share the same taste in drinking establishments. The Kansas City quintet recently encountered Mr. Home Alone in a New York City bar and had the following to say about it. “It was hilarious,” says bassist Rob Pope. “It was us in this downstairs bar [with] The Strokes and Macaulay Culkin and some people from Saturday Night Live. We were just really drunk and we were like, ‘What’s going on here? Where are we?’ So we sat down and talked to… Read more »

“American Idol” fans who cringed when contestant Jon Peter Lewis appeared in a banana suit as part of a promotional segment for Ford during a recent episode can take comfort in knowing they are not alone. “I’ll be honest with you, on a personal basis, I hate the damn things,” Ken Warwick, co-executive producer of the show, admitted. “I come from a whole television system in England that absolutely forbids any interference within the program by any sponsor, by any advertising, or any product placement whatsoever. It’s just completely forbidden. So in truth, yes, I find a lot of them… Read more »

Federal regulators settled a case Thursday with companies that took advantage of thousands of “American Idol” fans trying to vote for their favorite contestants on the TV show. According to the Federal Trade Commission, three Utah-based companies bought dozens of phone numbers very similar to the toll-free numbers that “Idol” fans call to place their votes. Viewers who misdialed and got one of the numbers were directed to dial a 900-number to place their vote. A message on the 900-number then gave the correct toll-free number to call. The FTC said about 25,000 consumers were charged up to $3 per… Read more »

The third season of American Idol kicked off this week on FOX with the final auditions show airing Wednesday (January 21) at 8 p.m. ET. The three opening shows take a behind-the-scenes look at the good, the bad, and the really, really bad from auditions in New York, Atlanta and Houston. The season premiere ofAmerican Idol on Monday (January 19) attracted an estimated 28 million viewers. According to information from the hit show, several singers and songs were banned from being performed at this year’s auditions, including Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel,” Etta James’ “At Last,” Elton John’s “Candle In The Wind,”… Read more »

Aerosmith has announced a 40-city North American tour in support of their 14th studio album, Honkin’ On Bobo. Scheduled to kick off in the US in March 2004, the tour will hit cities in both the US and Canada through June. Clear Channel Entertainment, the world’s leading promoter and marketer of live entertainment, will promote and produce the tour. Cheap Trick has been announced as the tour’s special guest. Universally renowned as America’s premiere rock band, Aerosmith’s tour promises to be nothing short of spectacular with the band performing classic hits from their 30 year career, as well as new… Read more »

There may not be something rotten in Denmark, but there must be something strange in the air when it comes to their cultural relationship with America. At least it seems that way when you look at some of the country’s most interesting exports. Just last month, Toronto was treated to a screening of Lars Von Trier’s new film, Dogville, and a concert in support of The Raveonettes’ new album, Chain Gang Of Love. Both were about America. Although The Raveonettes have admitted to being influenced by Von Trier’s Dogma 95 films, their opinions on The States couldn’t be more different.… Read more »