Here’s your big change to ask Ville some questions. Ville will be answering fan questions in an upcoming issue of Revolver magazine. So if you’ve got something to ask him, email it to: letters@revolvermag.com
with the subject heading HIM QUESTION by October 9.
An intimate and moving meditation on the late musician and artist Kurt Cobain, based on more than 25 hours of previously unheard audiotaped interviews conducted with Cobain by noted music journalist Michael Azerrad for his book "Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana." In the film, Kurt Cobain recounts his own life - from his childhood and adolescence to his days of musical discovery and later dealings with explosive fame - and offers often piercing insights into his life, music, and times. The conversations heard in the film have never before been made public and they reveal a highly personal portrait of an artist much discussed but not particularly well understood.
London - A British charity has sold a complete set of Harry Potter books autographed by their author J.K. Rowling on e-Bay for 18 200 pounds, it said on Sunday.
Bidding for the seven books on the online auction site closed at midnight on Sunday after a starting offer of 100 pounds, Books Abroad development director Claire Newman told reporters.
Rowling's mother-in-law, Barbara Murray, works for the Scottish charity which supplies books to schools worldwide.
"The lot received 63 bids," Newman said, adding: "We don't have any specific use (for the money) in mind."
The identity of the purchaser of the series was not disclosed.
Rowling agreed to donate the books, which were stored in a local police station, as part of the charity's 25th anniversary celebrations.
The first in the boy wizard series, Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, was published in 1997 and the final and seventh novel, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, hit English-language bookshops worldwide on July 21. - Sapa-AFP
Buzznet sat down with Ville Valo today and got the inside scoop on Ville’s family, Venus Doom, his inspirations, HIM’s pre-show rituals and much more. To listen to the interview CLICK HERE.
HIM just added a 2nd New York City and Los Angeles dates! 11/15 Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre 12/2 New York, NY @ Nokia Theatre LOS ANGELES TICKETS HERE NYC TICKETS HERE
The Umbrella Academy boasts authorship by Gerard Way, singer of the band My Chemical Romance. Having no taste for his music – reread that, Maniacs – I picked up this first issue of six with some trepidation, attracted to the sort of Edward-Gorey-meets-Lemony-Snicket art by Gabriel Ba. I can happily report that The Umbrella Academy bears virtually no relation to Way’s work with My Chemical Romance, and will likely appeal to anyone that likes Hellboy, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Harry Potter, or Village of the Damned. Needless to say, the first issue wears its influences on its sleeve like a newly sewn badge purchased at Hot Topic.
After a particularly amazing elbow drop at an alien wrestling match, 43 Earth women give birth to 43 children, all of whom have extraordinary powers. Renaissance man and covert alien Sir Reginald Hargreeves searches for the children and adopts as many as he can find – only seven, unfortunately. He educates the children on the business of world-saving at his Umbrella Academy. The children receive public acclaim when they save Paris from a zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel, who wants to pilot his famous tower into space – it’s really a ship – after destroying the city with a death ray. As we jump to the future, one of the students returns from space – he’s grown up to be an astronaut – to find that a reunion of the Umbrella Academy is brewing. But something sinister is afoot, and a long-lost member of the Academy may have the answers.
The Umbrella Academy wildly embraces its dark, semi-Victorian aesthetic. It reminds me of some of the historical reflection present in Mike Mignola’s work on Hellboy, with similar art by Gabriel Ba in tandem. Gerard Way brings a dark whimsy that will appeal not just to fans of his music, but anyone that enjoys Victorian science-fiction, 1930s pulp stories, or the art of Edward Gorey and Charles Addams. Nothing in The Umbrella Academy strikes as wildly original or groundbreaking, but this seems more like a love letter to its genre roots than a bold foray into experimental fiction. As comic readers, we see tributes and deconstructions of costumed crime-fighters so much that “reflective superhero fiction” almost deserves a separate genre designation. It’s nice to see a comic that acknowledges an entirely different set of influences in the same manner. Pick this one up.
We love our favorite songs like old friends. Those dulcet melodies, those head-banging riffs. That unforgettable voice. That unforgettable ... face?
Look around: TV, movies, Web shorts and iPod screens burst with musicians trying their hand at acting. There's Beyoncé in "Dreamgirls" and Justin Timberlake in "Shrek the Third." There's Queen Latifah in "Hairspray" and Ice-T on "Law and Order."
Of course, any pop-culture hound knows it's a short trip from musician to actor. Both professions require a knack for projection and connection with audiences - and a considerable love of the spotlight.
"It's all performance," said Rick Springfield, an '80s idol and TV regular who plays the Paramount Theatre tonight. "When I'm acting, I'm an actor, and when I'm playing music, I'm a musician. I've been doing it for so long that it's a very natural, comfortable switch."
Springfield, 58, got his start in the 1960s in Australian bands like Zoot, earning teen-idol status and eventually crossing over to the States. But his music career tanked in the early '70s, so he turned to acting.
"I started doing that in 1975 in lieu of a music career because I wasn't getting any record deals, although I was still writing songs," he said.
Springfield did guest spots in "The Incredible Hulk" and "The Rockford Files." He made a small appearance in "Battlestar Galactica" and had a reoccurring role on "The Young and The Restless." But it wasn't until he joined "General Hospital" in 1981 that his acting career helped revive his musical one.
That same year, Springfield's album "Working Class Dog" birthed the then-ubiquitous single "Jessie's Girl." The pop-culture synergy propelled him to stratospheric heights, eventually earning him a Grammy.
"It's a great way for musicians to cross over," said Matthew Donahue, a popular culture studies instructor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. "It exposes them to folks who haven't heard their music."
Donahue cited Springfield's early '80s breakthrough as an example of success through media convergence. But Springfield is just one in a caravan of glittery-eyed singers leveraging celebrity through screen time.
Long before Frank Sinatra appeared in "The Manchurian Candidate" or Elvis Presley in "Blue Hawaii," musicians made short promotional films - grainy, off-the-cuff precursors to music videos.
"There are some amazing short films of Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith from the late '20s where they're promoting their music in addition to bringing themselves into a different medium," Donahue said. "And of course you could go back to 'The Jazz Singer' (1927) as
Rick Springfield turned to acting to get him through a dull spot in his musical career - then his role on "General Hospital" brought the spotlight to his 1981 album, "Working Class Dog," and the hit "Jessie's Girl." (Getty | Kevin Winter)
the first talking picture."
A dramatic flair certainly helps. Close-up-ready musicians like Barbra Streisand used music as a path to stage and screen. Elvis Presley originally wanted to be an actor, and missed an opportunity to revive his career when manager Col. Tom Parker kept him from appearing in the 1976 movie "A Star is Born" - a role Streisand badly wanted him for.
When it happens the other way around, it's usually a grisly sight. Witness Keanu Reeves' "band" Dogstar, Jared Leto's unholy 30 Seconds to Mars, or any of the miscarriages of blues that Bruce Willis or Jim Belushi have perpetrated.
"Every actor I know would love to be a rock star, and every musician I know would love to try acting," Springfield said. "They're that close, and there's some part missing in each career."
Many musical artists turn to acting at the height of their success, forging a new career while keeping the old one hot. But when Springfield's music career hit another rough patch in the mid-to-late '80s, he returned to acting out of necessity.
He acted in Las Vegas spectaculars and in musicals. In 2005, he returned to "General Hospital," where he currently plays his signature character, Dr. Noah Drake. He even performed a song from his forthcoming album, "Who Killed Rock N Roll," on the show, an appropriate career move considering his musical revival of late.
"He's clearly an artist that reaches a generation of women, and when he came out in the '80s he was a borderline teen idol," Donahue said. "Doing 'General Hospital' early on, then coming back again is a no-brainer, win-win situation. It lets him reach a new public that's already a market for the myth of romantic love."
Springfield sees it more simply.
"At the bottom of it is a desire to be loved. Why else would you get up and prance around in front of people like that?"
As grand finals fever hits this long weekend and some of you launch into a well earned break, make sure you’re near a TV on Sunday night to see one of, if not the biggest band performances on Rove to date! Silverchair will be performing IF YOU KEEP LOSING SLEEP in spectacular style! This will see them take elements from the video and incorporate them into what will be a massive TV appearance.
So set the video player to record and tune into Rove Sunday at 9pm on Channel 10!
The Sunday Herald has a new profile actor David Thewlis. In this funny and candid interview (note:slight language caution to parents) David discusses his new novel, his various acting roles, and mentions his return as Remus Lupin the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Noting that he has been pleased with all the Harry Potter films to date, David Thewlis recounts his meeting with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling:
“She was really lovely,” he says. “She said she was very happy I was playing the part. Actually, she said Lupin was her favourite character. I said, Well put him in it more then.’”
No word on what David Thewlis thought about the role and adventures of Remus Lupin in the final installment in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. As reported previously, production is now underway on the sixth Harry Potter film, with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince due in theaters November 21, 2008.
The latest Harry Potter film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has won three prizes including the best male actor at the first-ever National Movie Awards.
Daniel Radcliffe, 18, won the award for best male performance for his role in the film beating James Bond star Daniel Craig, Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp and co-star Rupert Grint.
The award function was held in London on Friday night.
17-year-old Emma Watson received the best female award for her portrayal of Herodone Granger in the film beating Dame Judi Dench, Eva Green, Kirsten Dunst and Keira Knightley.
Receiving the award from Dame Helen Mirren, Radcliffe said it was "amazing to have beaten James Bond."
"Daniel Craig is someone I look up to as an actor not just as James Bond," he said.
The fifth film in the Potter series also took the best family film title at the ceremony.
Organisers hope the awards, voted for by the public will one day rival the BAFTA awards.
As we told you previously, the trio of Dan Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson were confirmed to attend the National Movie Awards in London, England. We have photos of them attending the awards, along with Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) and Matt Lewis (Neville Longbottom). To see extensive photos from this event at the Royal Festival Hall in London, England, be sure to check out our image galleries.
The big news of the night of course is the awards, which have now been presented. Big CONGRATULATIONS are now in order, as “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” was named “Best Family Film.” Also kudos go to actor Dan Radcliffe, who was named “Best Actor” for his performance as Harry Potter in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” You can see photos of Dan accepting his award, here. Further props go to actress Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), who proved to be the winner in the Best Actress category! Cheers to all! More details on the wins, here, and from the BBC, here.
We have a full range of coverage, along with the photos from here via WENNand here via Getty Images., we have new video interviews, starting with Dan Radcliffe on the red carpet before the ceremony, then after winning his award in the press room, where the always classy Helen Mirren makes some lovely remarks about Daniel. To watch this video, click here. As noted Emma Watson won as Best Actress, and you can see her video interview here, as well as a new video interview with the always charming Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), here where he briefly mentions starting work filming the sixth Harry Potter film, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”
Finally, Emma Watson.ca let us know about some huge High-Res photos from the event they have in their galleries, here. The National Movie Awards will be broadcast tomorrow night in the UK on ITV1.
Bam Margera of MTV's "Jackass" and "Viva La Bam" fame recently conducted an interview for RecCenter.com with HIM members Ville Valo and Mige (a.k.a. Mikko Henrik Julius Paananen) about the group's latest album, "Venus Doom". Watch the three-minute clip below.
HIM's new album, "Venus Doom", sold 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Valo recently told the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that the band wanted to make a more minimalist album this time out. Enough time has elapsed from the early '90s when Valo himself was absorbing influences from bands such as CATHEDRAL, PARADISE LOST, ANATHEMA, TYPE O NEGATIVE, MONSTER MAGNET, MY DYING BRIDE and others like them.
"There is no way we could have pulled off that sort of thing at the time when TYPE O NEGATIVE came out with 'Bloody Kisses' [released in 1993]. And you know, by the way, that there's plenty of people today who know nothing about that band, or about the Swedish band CANDLEMASS or PARADISE LOST, even. If we had come out with this sort of material at the same time as them, it would just have come across like a rip-off."
As previously reported, HIM's latest single, a track called "Kiss of Dawn", failed to crack the official British Top 40 chart the week of its release. The song entered the British chart at No. 59, outside the official Top 40 list.
"Kiss of Dawn" is the first HIM single in four years that has not made it to the Top 40 in Britain. So far the "love-metal" band's highest UK entries have been with "Solitary Man", which landed at No. 9 in 2004, and "Wings of a Butterfly", which came in at No. 10 in 2005.
It's been two years since they released their second album titled A Beautiful Lie but 30 Seconds To Mars are still running strong from coast to coast with the record.
The band just scored two nominations -- Rock Out Award and Inter Act Award -- at the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards. The awards ceremony will be held in Munich on November 1.
In other awards news, the band is also name-checked for Best Alternative (International) and Best New Artist (International) at the Belgian TMF Awards that's happening on October 13. Other than that, 30 Seconds To Mars have also been nominated for Best Rock Act (International) for the sixth annual MTV Latin America Music Awards that's scheduled to take place in Mexico City on October 18.
Throughout their career, the band has garnered and won various nominations and awards given by MTV, FUSE, mtvU, Billboard and others. The Australian MTV Awards also named "The Kill" (directed by lead singer Jared Leto, under the alias Bartholomew Cubbins) as Rock Video Of The Year and Video Of The Year.
Earlier this year, the group also won the Best New Artist trophy on the TRL Awards for MTV Italy.
Though they have been around since 1991, HIM was brought to the attention of the American public thanks to Bam Margera.
The band's sound is driven by the signature forlorn and pleading voice of front man Ville Valo. He has a swooning voice that is rare in the heavy/gothic metal world. Their newest album, Venus Doom, has an even grittier and darker sound than its predecessors.
"The idea to have nine songs was based on Dante's Inferno, cause hell has nine layers, so it's like going deeper down into hell and then coming back," Valo says, according to the band's Web site.
Doom does just this. It brings you to hell and back. As the songs fade into one another, the music leaves the listener feeling like they are leaving one layer and entering another. By the time you get to "Cyanide Sun," it still feels dark with a tone of hope. But it ends with an almost lofty reminiscent tone - like you have just surfaced from a dark journey. You can't help but feel like you have just gone through the nine layers of hell and came up to the sight of the "Cyanide Sun."
Though I did not find the album as good as Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights or Love Metal, the album has some highlights. "Kiss of Dawn," "Bleed Well," "Passion's Killing Floor," "Cyanide Sun" and "Love in Cold Blood" are all highlights. The album has a few songs that could be skipped. "Song or Suicide" and "Sleepwalking Past Hope," the longest song on the album, can both skipped.
Aside from a few black-and-white photographs, Kurt Cobain never appears in this documentary, nor is a single note of his music ever heard. Instead, filmmaker AJ Schnack's hauntingly beautiful film is a bold and successful attempt to recover the human being who disappeared under the heavy mantle of "face and voice of a lost generation," and whose life has been increasingly overshadowed by his sensational early death in 1994...
Cobain is forthcoming, particularly about his drug use and hatred of the press, and while his voice sometimes sounds woozy (most of the interviews were conducted between midnight and dawn), it's always intimate, articulate, enormously empathetic and at odds with the lost-boy frailty of his appearance. Schnack sets Cobain's words against time-lapse cityscapes, domestic still lifes, rotoscoped animation, Charles Peterson's famous Grunge-scene photos and portraits of the ordinary denizens of Aberdeen, Olympia and Seattle, the kind of people Cobain might have known or even, under different circumstances, become. An exciting soundtrack featuring the music of Cobain's life — everyone from Arlo Guthrie, Queen and Cheap Trick to Half Japanese, the Vaselines, Teenage Fanclub, Scratch Acid and the Melvins — accompanies the stunning cinematography. The effect is austerely beautiful and deeply moving — a total immersion in the world from which Cobain came and which he left permanently altered not long after.
We have several new audio interviews with Harry Potter filmmakers to tell you about today. In addition to the David Yates interview we first told you about a few days ago, Voices from Krypton have released further “Half-Blood Prince” related conversations with Harry Potter film producer David Heyman as well as an extended interview with production designer Stuart Craig. Mr. Heyman discusses the sixth film, and its director David Yates, describing the decision to bring Mr. Yates into the directors chair noting his ability to “bring a real reality to everything he does” which Mr. Heyman feels was very important due to the nature of the story in these films. You can listen to this most interesting interview here.
Production Designer Stuart Craig discusses the many new techniques used in the production of “Order of the Phoenix” as well as much more in this new four part interview available to for listening right here. While the subject of “Half-Blood Prince” is only briefly touched on, Mr. Craig talks about the planning and challenges in designing the sets for “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” and of the small ways the tone of the films affect his design.
Currently in production, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be released in theaters November 21, 2008.
NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Sire Records) - "Venus Doom," the new album from Sire recording artists HIM, captured the No.12 spot this week on Billboard's Hot 100 chart - the Finnish rock band's highest debut to date. Released on September 18th "Venus Doom" was named one of Alternative Press' "Most Anticipated Albums of 2007." Spin gave it four stars in its review, while Blender called it "brutal. Ballsy. Extreme... you might even sneak in a **** and still be on point."
The band - singer Ville Valo, guitarist Linde, bassist Mige, keyboardist Burton, and drummer Gas - have been collaborating on the songs that appear on "Venus Doom" since last year when their previous release, "Dark Light," went gold in the U.S., making HIM the first-ever band from Finland to go gold in America. The band recorded "Venus Doom" this past spring with noted producer Tim Palmer (Ozzy Osborne, U2 and Duran Duran) with the intention of recapturing the signature sound of their highly acclaimed 2003 album "Love Metal."
Also noteworthy is the band's logo, which has been likened to the Rolling Stones' Tongue, The Ramones' Seal, and the Grateful Dead Skull. HIM's symbol - the marriage of a heart and a pentagram called the Heart-a-Gram - has been glimpsed on "Jackass" (on star Bam Margera), Kat Von D's "LA Ink," and on countless fans across Europe and the U.S.
HIM's first single "Kiss Of Dawn" has already been added to MTV2's regular rotation on "You Rock The Deuce" and is currently being played on "Steven's Untitled Rock Show" on Fuse. HIM have recently finished up a major tour with Linkin Park on the latter's Projekt Revolution extravaganza, and will begin their own headlining tour in New York City in mid-October. See below for full tour itinerary.
HIM Fall Headlining Tour Dates: Thurs 18-Oct Sayerville, NJ Starland Ballroom Fri 19-Oct Washington, DC 9:30 Club Sat 20-Oct Baltimore, MD Sonar Sun 21-Oct Worcester, MA The Palladium Tues 23-Oct Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Theatre Thurs 25-Oct Chicago, IL Congress Theatre Fri 26-Oct St. Louis, MO The Pageant Sat 27-Oct St. Paul, MN Myth Tues 30-Oct Omaha, NE Sokol Auditorium Wed 31-Oct Kansas City, MO Uptown Theatre Fri 2-Nov Denver, CO Ogden Theatre Sat 3-Nov Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue Sat 10-Nov Seattle, WA The Fenix Sun 11-Nov Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom Tues 13-Nov San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre Wed 14-Nov Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre Sat 17-Nov Las Vegas, NV The Joint Tues 20-Nov Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom Wed 21-Nov Houston, TX Warehouse Live Fri 23-Nov Ft. Lauderdale, FL Revolution Sat 24-Nov Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live Sun 25-Nov Atlanta, GA Tabernacle Wed 28-Nov N. Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues Thurs 29-Nov Norfolk, VA Norva Fri 30-Nov Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Sat 1-Dec New York, NY Nokia Theatre
James Taylor and Evanescence will each perform at the Casper Events Center in November, the Events Center announced on Wednesday.
Tickets for Taylor go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. and Evanescence tickets can be purchased starting Saturday at noon.
Events Center Marketing Director Tiffine Canepa said negotiations with James Taylor took several months, and Evanescence just four weeks.
"Things just locked and loaded all at the same time," Canepa said.
James Taylor is best known for songs including "Fire and Rain," "Country Road," "Something in the Way She Moves," and "Carolina on My Mind." He won five Grammy Awards and has 40 platinum and multi-platinum awards.
His concert will be at the Events Center at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1 and tickets will be between $55 and $65.
Evanescence, which has won two Grammy Awards, will be performing with Sick Puppies and Julien-K.
The Arkansas band, led by Amy Lee on piano and vocals, has a sound that combines rock, goth and classical influences.
Their latest album, "Open Door," went platinum in slightly more than one month.
They will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24 and tickets are between $29.50 and $36.
Elton John will play the Events Center on Sunday, and Canepa said she is enthusiastic about the number of big names coming to Casper.
After seeing Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe bear his soul (and everything else) earlier this year in the London stage production of Equus, many theater-goers probably wondered what the next step would be for the talented teen.
Radcliffe may have given a glimpse into his future plans during a recent New York press junket for the upcoming film, December Boys.
When a journalist asked the teen thespian If he has considered playing a gay character “from the aspect of being an actor, Radcliffe responded:
"Id never play a gay character just for the sake of playing a gay character. If the script was good, and it was a good gay character then, Im 18, and so the parts Im going to be getting will be open for around that age range. And around that age range is when people are exploring sexuality, so those are the parts I think I will be involved in."
Such a role will have to wait in the wings for a bit, however, since Radcliffe is expected to reprise his role in Equus this spring on Broadway.
Actor Robert Pattinson (Hufflepuff great Cedric Diggory) has been cast as legendary Surrealist painter Salvador Dali (see his paintings via VirtualDali.com) in the upcoming “Little Ashes” film. British Film Magazine reports that Robert “plays Dali opposite Javier Beltran as Lorca, and Matthew McNulty, who features in the forthcoming Joy Division biopic “Control”, as Dali’s filmmaking collaborator Luis Bunel.”
Season of Brotherhood starring the wonderful Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) begins this Sunday, September 30 at 10:00pm (EST) on cable channel Showtime. Noting in a recent interview “I’m welcomed with open arms by all of the criminals in Rhode Island!,” Jason describes the return of his hit television series which was filmed recently here in the US.
“We arrived back for the second season, and people just went crazy. It was like Norm walking into Cheers,” says Isaacs, whose character begins the season recovering from traumatic head injuries received in a severe beating that ended the first season. “If we were as well-received in the rest of the world beyond Providence, we’d be very, very happy.”
The official Brotherhood website now has a promo clip online of the upcoming season. CAUTION: The program is clearly rated MA, and please note this video does contain scenes of graphic violence, sex, strong language, and drug use; this is not suitable for young children. Keeping this in mind, to watch this clip, click here, then on the upper right side “The New Season: Get a Sneak Peek”
H.I.M.’s cult-like following has only just begun to grow. Right from the start, Ville and the boys had a sound quite unlike their metal brethren in Finland. The combination of the romantic and the hard-edged, epitomized by their “Love Metal” aesthetic and iconic “heartagram” logo, won them fans throughout Europe, as well as fans abroad. Skating legend and “Jackass” Bam Margera adopted the band’s logo and got the hype machine rolling. His devotion, along with his non-stop media exposure, introduced H.I.M. to a whole new audience. Since then, they’ve become one of the most beloved and recognizable bands amongst an entire generation of music fans.
Vitamin Records’ “The String Quartet Tribute to H.I.M.” is a haunting and beautiful recreation of this iconic band’s unique sound. Their pulsating riffs and lush melodies are the perfect template for these unbelievable pieces. This album is an essential for any H.I.M. fan’s collection.
Tracklist: 1. Wings of a Butterfly – 3.29 2. Killing Loneliness – 4.53 3. Lose You Tonight – 3.51 4. Join Me in Death – 3.29 5. Vampire Heart – 4.47 6. Right Here in My Arms – 4.06 7. Buried Alive by Love – 5.06 8. Your Sweet 666 – 4.30 9. Beyond Redemption – 4.28 10. Razorblade Kiss – 4.32 11. In Joy and Sorrow – 4.04 12. J.I.M. (Original composition inspired by the music of H.I.M.) – 4.09
(Click on the number to hear a snippet of the track before you buy!)
Too often we pass judgement on the plight of our Aboriginal brethren with apathetic flippancy. It is precisely this issue that two of Australia’s most celebrated bands have chosen to draw attention to on their latest double-headed national tour.
Watching the news in the lounge rooms of white middle-class Australia, it’s not hard to forget about our traditional ancestors. In fact, too often we pass judgement on the plight of our Aboriginal brethren with apathetic flippancy. “We’ve got much bigger problems to worry about than those binge drinking abusive layabouts, sponging off the government and wasting our taxes. What about rising interest rates and petrol prices? Or climate change? If they wanted a better life, they’d do something about it themselves.” And so continues the great divide. The great divide between the reality of living in the 21st century as an indigenous Australian, and the destructive myths that perpetrate our knowledge of their culture. The great divide between the attitudes of partisan followers, and the egalitarian leadership desperately required to improve the circumstances of a misrepresented and often neglected ethnic minority. It is precisely this issue that two of Australia’s most celebrated bands, Silverchair and Powderfinger, have chosen to draw attention to on their latest double-headed national tour. Across the great divide.
Sporting two massive banners encouraging attendees to visit reconcile.org.au to join the conversation on reconciliation, the outdoor stage in the travelling big top was first host to Sydney-siders Expatriate. Appreciative of the warm western welcome, the four-piece did their best to entertain the filling venue. Songs like Crazy, The Spaces Between, and Gotta Get Home managed to spark a light of recognition with the post-punk youth, the sound very reminiscent of genre staples Interpol. Other punters were seemingly indifferent, content with a few beers and some good company. Before long, Expatriate were done and the stage was cleared with militant efficiency.
After a brief pre-recorded acknowledgment of the traditional land owners by Silverchair’s Daniel Johns and Powderfinger’s Bernard Fanning, the stage exploded into a scene from a big budget action film. Chasing bright flashes, smoke filled corners, rotating red lights. From the midst of the mayhem Silverchair appeared, bursting straight into Young Modern Station. With two extra musicians in tow (including long time collaborator Paul Mac), they replicated the well-produced nature of their latest record. Behind them, the stage backdrop cleared to reveal three large rectangular screens. For this particular track they were brightly lit, bold fluorescent colours imitating the cover-art of the ‘Young Modern’ LP.
Before the applause had even peaked, the familiar sounds of Chris Joannou’s bass introduction for Israel’s Son brought the tent into an uproar. In fact, the complete set was sprinkled with back catalogue favourites covering the last five majors. Following Without You, an impromptu sing-a-long to celebrate Joannou’s birthday was something special, and Johns was able to demonstrate just how acrobatic his voice has become. The striking stage production continued to provide an entertaining backdrop for the show. Accompanying The Greatest View, spinning images of a map of Australia (eventually arriving in Perth) received a particularly rapturous welcome.
After Johns had expressed his thanks to the punters for securing the Claremont showground venue on his behalf (some local councillors had wanted to cancel the show, the concert goers had arranged a petition), it was into Straight Lines and then The Door. At times it seemed as if Johns were performing on the edge, teetering between restrained control and an all out frenzy. “If there are ten thousand of you here, I want to see twenty thousand hands! If you’re missing a hand, put your f.. legs up!” And so the rock continued. Closing the show with Freak, the crowd showed their enthusiasm for a sing along. “Body and soul, I’m a freak, I’m freak.” Ben Gillies showed his excitement by continually attempting to bounce his drum sticks into the air off his cymbals, the occasional success bringing the appropriate response from the front-rowers.
Not much time passed before the big red stage curtains were again opened, this time revealing a single giant screen. To the delight of the crowd, a sixty second countdown timer appeared. This was unsurprisingly immediately willed on by the sold-out arena. On cue, Powderfinger appeared, Fanning guitar-less and collected, giving us Head up in the Clouds from their latest offering ‘Dream days at the hotel existence’. Moving through Waiting for the Sun into Lost and Running it was easy to become entranced by the music. The six-piece (featuring studio collaborator Lachlan Doley on keys) sounded simply sensational.
In keeping with theme of the evening, Powderfinger too switched through hits from past and present records, Already Gone (opened with Fanning on the blues harp) fitting effortlessly between I don’t remember and Who really cares. Leaving Doley on the main stage to jam with drummer Jon Coghill, Fanning then disappeared into the darkness, re-emerging sometime later on a small platform to the extreme right of stage. There he gave a moving solo rendition of Black Tears, the song partly inspired by an aboriginal death in custody on Palm Island that earlier this year sparked a legal controversy. The set finished with These Days and My Happiness, Fanning (like Johns before him) appreciative of the very vocal Western Australian crowd.
After a brief exit (leaving behind a backdrop of ‘Powderfinger, Hotel Perth’), Fanning, along with guitarists Ian Haug and Darren Middleton, re-emerged, this time on a small platform on stage left. All bearing acoustic guitars, they gave a beautiful rendition of Sunsets complete with three part vocal harmonies. It was exquisite. “You know this song is really only relevant in Western Australia.” A little more imaginative than the traditional shouts of the city name to get the crowd going. Closing the show with On My Mind, spliced midway with a cover of The Rolling Stones’ Midnight Rambler, the band left the punters with that warm concert after-glow that has to be experienced to be understood.
The screens rolled out some concluding video footage of Australian’s talking about reconciliation, no collaboration between the artists on this particular evening. And the reconciliation message? Well it was there, but you had to look to find it. And so it continues. Of course we can be hopeful that initiatives like this start to bridge the gap. Across the very great divide.
Silverchair Setlist
1. Young modern station 2. Israel’s son 3. Emotion sickness 4. Without you 5. Reflections of a sound 6. Insomnia 7. Ana’s song (Open fire) 8. The greatest view 9. Luv your life 10. Straight lines 11. The Door 12. Mind reader 13. If you keep losing sleep 14. Freak
Powderfinger Setlist
1. Head up in the clouds 2. Waiting for the sun 3. Lost and running 4. Love your way 5. Thrilloilogy 6. I don’t remember 7. Already gone 8. Who really cares 9. Black tears (Bernard Fanning solo) 10. These days 11. My happiness 12. Sunsets 13. (Baby I’ve got you) On my mind -> Midnight rambler (The Rolling Stones)
Out on Chrom Dreams, which also released the Depeche Mode biopic DVD "Random Access Memory", are the HIM 2CD "The Lowdown" and the DVD "Poison Arrow". "The Lowdown" 2CD set feates rare interviews with Ville Valo and his band (in English) where they discuss life, music, fame, touring and a whole lot more, plus an audiobiography telling the group's story from day one right up to date. The package also includes many seldom seen photos, full colour booklets, posters and a whole bunch of other features. The "Poison Arrow" DVD features rare footage plus exclusive interviews with the band and those who know them best, including: singerVille's father, Kari Valo, close friend and professional colleague of the band, Silke Yli-Sirnioe, HIM's PR and Tour Organiser, Tomi Saarinen Top Finnish DJ from YLEX (the country's premier rock station) Steve Price, founder of Goth Metal Meltdown magazine, Natasha Scharf and many, many more. DVD special features include an extensive interactive HIM discography, a digital trivia quiz, a special 'beyond DVD' section and more. Both items are released on October 1st and can be ordered below. HIM - "The Lowdown" 2CD set HIM - "Poison Arrow" DVD
Rocker Dave Grohl almost turned his back on music after Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain killed himself in 1994.
Grohl, who played drums in the legendary group, was devastated by Cobain's suicide and admits his career as the Foo Fighters frontman came about almost by accident.
He says: "When Nirvana was finished I didn't really know what to do. Our lives and our world were turned upside down.
"It's hard to imagine playing music after something like that. It was hard for me. I had always written and recorded songs by myself. I wouldn't really play them for anyone.
"(So) after Nirvana was finished I spent a lot of time just travelling around and thinking, and then I thought, 'I know what I will do. I'll book six days in the studio down the street from my house and I'll record my favourite 12/13 songs I've ever written.'
"I never thought I'd still be here doing this. Never."
Organizers of a recent music festival in Hoquiam are hoping they can develop the concert into an annual event to honor the late Kurt Cobain.
Cobain's musical angst, derived partially from his turbulent childhood in the economically depressed former logging towns of Aberdeen and Hoquiam, became the voice of a generation.
His raw and unique style launched the Northwest's grunge rock movement in the early 1990s and made Seattle the epicenter of youth culture.
Cobain's band, Nirvana, broke through to the mainstream market with its gritty lyrics and appeal to troubled teens. Flannel and heavy boots quickly become fashionable, an ironic nod to Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic's hometown with its logging industry.
Bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains joined the ranks of Seattle grunge icons as Nirvana rose to fame, becoming a platinum-selling success.
No band was bigger. And no band seemed to care less about its newfound fame, especially lead singer Cobain. He most often seemed miserable in photos and interviews and attempted to eschew the trappings of fame.
He tried to live a somewhat normal life, marrying rocker Courtney Love (although her influence on him was questionable at best), having a baby and buying a home in Seattle.
In the end, despite his band's success, like many great artists and writers, Cobain was a tortured soul who could not escape his demons. He ended his life on April 8, 1994. A collective wail went through the grunge community as news of his death -- while not surprising -- ultimately ended an era and a band that forever changed music.
Cobain continues to appeal to most every teen. Teens who were toddlers when he died have joined the ranks of Nirvana fans.
Fans sport Cobain tattoos, visit the park near his Seattle home as part of a pilgrimage to Cobain, build tribute websites and continue to listen to the music, with songs like Smells Like Teen Spirit still having some of the most recognizable hooks today.
So, for the legions of fans still flocking to find some connection to Cobain and Nirvana, a concert was held earlier this month in his honor in his hometown, featuring a roster of punk and grunge bands.
For those of you struggling to understand the appeal of someone who committed suicide, let's not forget that many generations of pop icons led lives shortened by self-destructive behaviors: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland. Cobain just pulled a trigger instead of popping pills.
The Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee group raised $5,000 from the concert. With that money and earnings from future events, the group hopes to one day build a youth center and park in Cobain's honor.
And maybe that center can help save other lost souls from Cobain's fate. That's the best result we could hope for.
For now, the group will have to rely on its first effort to honor Cobain.
Come As You Are, the title of one of Nirvana's powerful anthems, was added to the more conventional "Welcome to Aberdeen" greeting.
The message now does double duty as a tourism slogan and a positive acknowledgment of a legacy many in Aberdeen had long hoped would go away because of the stigma attached to Cobain's death.
In Cobain's wildest dreams, he probably never envisioned his lyrics greeting visitors to his hometown.
With everyone, including city leaders, now moving to honor its fallen son, Aberdeen may now find itself as a long-term beneficiary of Nirvana's lasting fame.
The thought of grunge tourism as an economic driver for Cobain's old haunts seems to run counter to the rebellious underpinnings of the movement.
When city hall embraces grunge, something has definitely shifted.
Despite the obvious irony, the festival represents a genuine appreciation for Cobain's lasting impact on popular culture.
With profits aimed at taking better care of the disenfranchised youth in Cobain's old community, it's destined to be a meaningful tribute.
Kurt Cobain: About A Son, a documentary focusing on the late Nirvana frontman (pictured left), will see its U.S. premiere at the Los Angeles AFI Film Festival in early November. A year before his death in 1994, Cobain was featured in a cover story for The Advocate. Though he often had a penchant for exaggerating and twisting the truth in interviews, he did reveal the following: "I used to pretend I was gay just to fuck with people. I've had the reputation of being a homosexual every since I was 14. It was really cool, because I found a couple of gay friends in Aberdeen [Washington] - which is almost impossible. How I could ever come across a gay person in Aberdeen is amazing! But I had some really good friends that way. I got beat up a lot, of course, because of my association with them."
An exclusive look at some of images from Kurt Cobain About A Son, shot by noted photographer Charles Peterson, is up over at RollingStone.com. Half the photographs are from Charles' grunge archives, while the other half are some of the newly shot images that Charles created for the film. You can check it out here. The site is also featuring the work of two other Seattlites - our composers Steve Fisk and Ben Gibbard, with Overture, their opening piece of score for the film. Overture is also available on the movie soundtrack.
In a recent interview, a character actor from Scotland who portrays the popular Inspector Rebus has launched an odd attack of sorts on those in the education field who favor children reading the Harry Potter novels. The Scotsman reports that actor Ken Stott (who also appeared in “The Girl in the Cafe” directed by David Yates) said the following during an interview with Radio Times:
“If we’re going to make a fuss about children reading books, do it with Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials books, not JK Rowling.
“I can’t believe idiot educationalists are praising children for turning up at school and reading Harry Potter.”
In a small bit of irony, the Rebus series are based on works by author Ian Rankin, a longtime friend and neighbor of J.K. Rowling in Edinburgh, Scotland. Mr. Stott continued on in his interview about his future, noting “I’ll remain a grumpy old man.” We wish him continued success with his grumpiness!
Finally, after much speculation and news on the web, Warner Home Video officially announced that the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD will be released on December 11th in the States.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2-Disc Special Edition DVD. (Photo: Business Wire)
DVD ELEMENTS:
The 2-Disc Special Edition DVD contains the following special features:
-- Additional Scenes: 17 minutes of never-before-seen footage. -- Trailing Tonks - Spend a day with Actress Nat Tena and receive a very personal and often wacky tour of the Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix stages. -- Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing - Director David Yates and Editor Mark Day show what a difference a good edit makes to allow the viewers to edit a scene. -- A&E Documentary: The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter - Viewers take a thrilling look back at the past Harry Potter films in search of clues to the mysteries of the upcoming Harry Potter saga. -- ROM - This will include a timeline, a link to sneaks of HP6, along with other materials.
The HD/DVD combo contains the following special features:
-- Additional Scenes: 17 minutes of never-before-seen footage. -- Trailing Tonks - Spend a day with Actress Nat Tena and receive a very personal and often wacky tour of the Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix stages. -- In Movie Experience - Join the cast from Dumbledore's Army as they come together to share memorable moments. -- Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing - Director David Yates and Editor Mark Day show what a difference a good edit makes to allow the viewers to edit a scene. -- Web-Enabled Features: -- Pick Your Favorite Scene - Assemble favorite clips from the movie to create a montage. -- Live Community Screening - Viewers can create, organize, and invite their buddies to their very own screening. -- Mobile Downloads - Viewers can scan and select cool images and ringtones to send to their mobile phones.
The Blu-ray disc contains the following special features:
-- Additional Scenes: 17 minutes of never-before-seen footage. -- A&E documentary: The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter - Viewers take a thrilling look back at the past Harry Potter films in search of clues to the mysteries of the upcoming Harry Potter saga. -- Trailing Tonks - Spend a day with Actress Nat Tena and receive a very personal and often wacky tour of the Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix stages. -- Focus Points - Enjoy these fun and fascinating "making of" featurettes to discover just what is involved to create those amazing scenes and characters. -- Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing - Director David Yates and Editor Mark Day show what a difference a good edit makes to allow the viewers to edit a scene.
The Limited Edition Gift Set contains the following additions:
-- Hogwarts Challenge - A bonus disc containing a unique interactive DVD gaming experience with 14 adventure games based on the first three Harry Potter films, and containing clips from the fourth and fifth films. -- Bonus materials - A bonus disc containing more than three hours of all-new content from the past Harry Potter films. -- Collectibles: -- The Harry Potter Bookmark Collection - Five unique souvenir metal bookmarks made especially for this gift set. -- Harry Potter Trading Cards - Collect them all with these four packages containing cards from the first four films.
Prices are as follows: Single disc (WS) and (FS) $28.98; 2-disc Special Edition (WS) $34.99 and the HD/DVD Combo and Blu-ray Discs will be $35.99. The limited edition DVD gift set will be available in standard definition for $119.97 SRP and on HD DVD and Blu-ray for $149.99 SRP.
Let's kick the voting up a notch and really test our multi-tasking abilities. We have three different award shows that need our attention. Let's win 'em all!!!
Where: MTV's European Music Awards When: November 1 in Munich, Germany What: 30 Seconds to Mars has been nominated in both ROCK OUT and INTER ACT categories. How: http://ema.mtv.co.uk/voteNow
Where: Latin MTV Awards When: October 18 in Mexico City, Mexico What: 30 Seconds to Mars is nominated for BEST INTERNATIONAL ROCK ARTIST How: http://www.mtvla.com/canal/los_premios/07/vote/
Where: TMF Awards When: October 13 in Hasselt, Belgium What: 30 Seconds to Mars is nominated for BEST ALTERNATIVE INTERNATIONAL and BEST NEW ARTIST INTERNATIONAL How: http://awards.tmf.be/07/vote_r2/
The world has started to see how strong the Echelon is already, now let's show them how strong the family really is. Let us be heard... vote until your fingers bleed!!!
CHEEKY cannabis fans have transformed Harry Potter into a dope-smoking "hero" called Hairy Pothead.
"Hairy" is a "weedster" instead of a wizard.
He studies at Hempwards School of Herbcraft and Weedery, where the teachers include headmaster Alwaze Duinthadope and Professor McGanjagal.
Students at Hempwards are told that essential items of equipment include a glass "bong", or cannbis pipe, brass scales, a herb grinder and a "stash tin".
The spoof is due to be published by Canadian magazine Cannabis Culture but Harry Potter author JK Rowling is unlikely to be amused. She has launched legal action in the past to protect her copyright.
"You get in a van and never go home. You sever all ties. You're going to be homeless anyways, so you sleep on people's floors. Don't worry about food; don't worry about being comfortable because it's not going to happen." Newlywed MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE star GERARD WAY admits the life of the rock star isn't one big party.
Plus MCR to perform at the music channel's November ceremony
My Chemical Romance
The nominations for the forthcoming MTV Europe Music Awards, set to take place in Munich on November 1, have been announced today (September 24), with the likes of Amy Winehouse, My Chemical Romance and Arctic Monkeys all receiving nominations.
Amy Winehouse has been nominated for two awards - the 'Most Addictive Track' award for her single 'Rehab', and the 'Album Of The Year' award for her second album, 'Back To Black'.
My Chemical Romance are also nominated for two gongs. They're up against the likes of Fall Out Boy and Linkin Park for the 'Rock Out' award, and are in the running for the 'Band Of 2007' award. The band will also perform at the ceremony.
The nominations are:
Rock Out Award 30 Seconds to Mars Evanescence Fall Out Boy Linkin Park My Chemical Romance
Ultimate Urban Award Beyoncé Gym Class Heroes Justin Timberlake Kanye West Rihanna Timbaland
Band Of 2007 Fall Out Boy Good Charlotte Linkin Park My Chemical Romance Tokio Hotel
Most Addictive Track Amy Winehouse - 'Rehab' Beyoncé and Shakira - 'Beautiful Liar' Mika - 'Grace Kelly ' Nelly Furtado - 'All Good Things (Come To An End)' Rihanna ft Jay-Z - 'Umbrella'
Album Of The Year Akon - 'Konvicted' Amy Winehouse - 'Back to Basics' Avril Lavigne - 'The Best Damn Thing' Linkin Park - 'Minutes to Midnight' Nelly Furtado - 'Loose'
Interact Award 30 Seconds to Mars Depeche Mode Fall Out Boy My Chemical Romance Tokio Hotel
Headliner Award Arctic Monkeys Beyoncé Foo Fighters Justin Timberlake Muse
Video Star Award Bat For Lashes - 'What's A Girl To Do' Chemical Brothers - 'The Salmon Dance' Foo Fighters - 'The Pretender' Justice - 'D.A.N.C.E' Justin Timberlake - 'What Goes Around' Kanye West - 'Stronger'
Solo Artist Of 2007 Avril Lavigne Christina Aguilera Justin Timberlake Mika Nelly Furtado Rihanna
Fans of MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE may have been surprised when the band was tapped to open for BON JOVI next month at the christening of New Jersey's Prudential Center. But MCR frontman GERARD WAY is actually a fellow Jersey native and a big fan of JON and the boys. Speaking to the University of Maine's campus newspaper last week, Way said, quote, "I grew up as a Bon Jovi fan. Whenever you're dealing with Bon Jovi or [BRUCE] SPRINGSTEEN, it's just a great honor."
On the other hand, Way wasn't so kind when talking about emo -- a musical movement that My Chemical Romance is often considered a part of. He says, quote, "I think there's bands that unfortunately we get lumped in with that are considered emo and by default that starts to make us emo... Put the records next to each other and listen to them and there's actually no similarities. I think emo's a pile of sh**."
We've been so awed by the tremendous response over the weekend after MySpace made About A Son their featured filmmaker on Friday night. In just over 48 hours, we've had more than 4000 requests for adds, and on the KCAAS channel the trailer and combined scenes from the film have been viewed a combined 70,000 times (as of early Monday AM). You can find the KCAAS MySpace page here and you can watch the official theatrical trailer and three scenes from the film here.
In a new audio interview with David Yates, David talks about the reasons why he decided to direct Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, having fun with the characters, what screenwriter Steve Kloves will bring to the movie and much more
Well it would seem that MTV pays attention to news on the Harry Potter sites, as the MTV movie blog has just now posted an excerpt from actor Dan Radcliffe who also discusses the army of the dead and the cave scenes in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Echoing sentiments made by director David Yates (see this previous news post ), Dan Radcliffe is also quite keen on filming these dramatic scenes for the sixth Harry Potter film, noting:
I’m really looking forward to filming the cave and all the stuff in there with the lake and the Inferi,” Radcliffe enthused. “Me and [Michael] Gambon in a row boat for a few days. It’s gonna be amazing.”
Later, the Harry Potter actor speaks on how they will be filming the Inferi (aka dead corpses bewitched by the very dark magic of Lord Voldemort.) Dan Radcliffe says ” I thought it was all gonna be largely visual effects, but they have built the cave,” he revealed, confirming that the shoot will be all practical. “So it’s gonna be very interesting to film.”
Indeed! As noted earlier production on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is now underway with a release date set for November, 2008.
As the actor who embodies Harry Potter’s every move, Daniel Radcliffe certainly knows from heroism. There’s the type of courage needed to battle a basilisk, for instance, or the bravery required to face down several dementors. But you can keep your dragon rides and your sorcerers’ duels, insisted Radcliffe, who told MTV News that the scene from the upcoming movie, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” he’s most looking forward to filming is the one in which Harry’s heroism manifests itself in the simple act of telling a friend it’s all going to be ok.
“I’m really looking forward to filming the cave and all the stuff in there with the lake and the Inferi,” Radcliffe enthused. “Me and [Michael] Gambon in a row boat for a few days. It’s gonna be amazing.” (Warning: spoilers ahead for those who haven’t read the book.)
The climax of “Half-Blood Prince,” the cave scene centers on Harry and Dumbledore as they search for one of Voldemort’s horcruxes, believed to be magically concealed deep within a cliff young Tom Riddle stole away to while at an orphanage. The pair find the horcrux, of course, but not before passing the Dark Lord’s many booby traps - the most terrifying of which is a potion designed to make the drinker relive his very worst memories. It’s here that Harry is able to save Dumbledore, who has tasted the brew and fallen into a screaming hysteria.
Which — as readers of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” could tell you — was all for naught, since the locket horcrux was already removed from the basin by Regalus Black and the house elf Kreacher. But now that we know they got there (and out), how will Radcliffe and Gambon? Will the expansive cave with the vast underground lake be entirely digital?
Not according to Radcliffe.
“I thought it was all gonna be largely visual effects, but they have built the cave,” he revealed, confirming that the shoot will be all practical. “So it’s gonna be very interesting to film.”
A capacity crowd swarmed under the big top at Claremont Oval on Saturday night as the rock and roll circus came to town.
Across the Great Divide, Silverchair and Powderfinger’s national tour, had entertained almost 200,000 fans before this weekend and easily broke through the mark with the first of their two sold-out Perth shows.
Silverchair opened proceedings, with frontman Daniel Johns telling the teeming thousands that it was “a pleasure to be back in your beautiful city”.
There was an electric atmosphere in the big tent, with a mostly great mix ensuring the distinct sounds of the band were not lost despite the huge crowd requiring plenty of volume.
It was bassist Chris Joannou’s birthday and Johns led the crowd in what may have been a world record attempt at Happy Birthday To You.
Johns was in fine voice, with strength and clarity punching through the roar of the crowd and sweetness soaring over their heads with the high notes. He engaged in lively banter with the crowd, even referring to the troubles that plagued the venue because of noise concerns.
“Thanks for that petition! Shut down that local council!” he joked before expressing his distaste for the various nay-sayers and anaesthetists (people dedicated to keeping Perth asleep) in no uncertain terms.
He didn’t hold back on guitar either, letting rip with solos which were audacious without being indulgent, even playing with his teeth and making a fair fist of it and also wreaking havoc on his pick ups to make some theremin-style madness. In this age of the three-minute simple and sanitised pop ditty, it was refreshing to see someone not shy of showing his chops and even better to see the crowd love every minute of it.
Paul Mack on organ was a fantastic edition to Silverchair’s sound, running a fantastic old-school rock and roll streak through the set, adding a sense of manic urgency to the more frenetic songs. It was a diverse set and the dim blue lights heralded a pause in the pace and a performance of Ana’s Song which would have had the lighters out and swinging if people were allowed to smoke anywhere these days.
Joannou the birthday boy was sharing his gift with the thousands-strong crowd, his base lines rumbling through the night like a freight train.
Drummer Ben Gillies, bearing a startling resemblance to Monster Magnet frontman Dave Wyndorf, was the star of the show, with a demonstration of controlled hitting matched only by Yuvraj Singh later that night. Gillies plays with heart, but is a scientist as well as an artist behind the skins; knowing exactly what is needed in the moment and delivering it with both style and gusto.
Silverchair even delighted the fans who “liked them before they were cool” by dragging Freak out of the vault to close.
After a break, a rare hush fell over the crowd as the smoke filled-stage was drenched in red light, creating a cavernous inferno like Dante’s own. An Ennio Morricone classic from one of Sergio Leone’s masterpieces filled the tent as the silhouettes drifted on, their black shapes stark like gunslingers swooping down on an innocent Western town.
Head Up In the Clouds lit up the stage and the crowd. A good mix was complemented by great lighting direction which worked well with the on-screen visuals looming over the stage.
Singer Bernard Fanning showed his range of talents by pulling out the acoustic guitar for Lost and Running. He hailed the crowd as “by far the biggest and loudest” of the tour.
An old-fashioned all-crowd foot-stomping gave the guitar solo-intro to Thrilloilogy a folksy feel before its welcome mutation into a rock and roll epic. The crowd was warmed up before being hit with a couple of tracks from the new album Dream Days at the Hotel Existence but no warm-up was required as the new stuff didn’t leave them wanting.
The blue lights came on but it was no disco, with Fanning bringing out the harmonica for a rollicking rendition of Already Gone complete with a fantastic piano backing to take the song to another level, bringing a mad, Jerry Lee Lewis touch which took nothing away from the power or drama of the music.
The three-man acoustic rendition of Sunsets on smaller stage bathed in golden light was also a nice touch.
Black Tears went to the heart of the theme behind Across The Great Divide — both bands are strident advocates of reconciliation, with banners flanking the stage urging fans to get to reconciliation.org.au to “start the conversation”.
Strangely, a fair portion of the crowd bucketed out immediately at the end of the set, leaving the faithful with less of a chance of an encore, though there had been rumours of a collaborative effort by Powderchair for a finale.
The only negatives were the wildly over-priced food and the absence of passes-out, making the over-priced food more of a nuisance.
All in all it was a terrific performance from both bands, delivered with enthusiasm and joy – and returned in spades by the fans.
As for the scaremongers on Claremont council, I took time out mid-set to walk as far from the tent as I could without leaving the venue. Weirdly enough, it was fairly quiet, and after an hour and a half set from each band, the gig wrapped up at 10pm. Hardly the apocalypse on a Saturday night.
CONCERT Artists: Silverchair & Powderfinger Venue: Claremont Oval Date: Saturday September 22 Review: Giovanni Torre
Invading aliens. A hero who is the Earth's last hope. Computer-generated special effects.
The biggest entertainment blockbuster of the year debuts this week - but it won't be at the local multiplex.
The video game Halo 3 hits stores worldwide Tuesday, and industry experts are bracing for a stampede to rival the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" during the summer.
"If Harry Potter put on a storm trooper mask and fought Darth Vader, that would be at the level of epicness that the Halo release is bringing to the masses," said Kevin Pereira, host of "Attack of the Show" on the G4 network.
Variety reported that Microsoft Game Studios is aiming for its first-person shooter game to top the record $151 million the movie "Spider-Man 3" earned at the box office in its opening weekend - in just the first day.
Halo 2 is the fifth-best-selling video game title of all time, selling 5.9 million units since its release in 2004, according to statistics from the NPD Group, a market research company.
Stores across the country are hosting "Halo 3 Midnight Madness" events tomorrow from 2 p.m. to midnight, including one at the Best Buy at Fifth Ave. and 44thSt. in Manhattan. Rapper Ludacris and members of the Giants and Jets will be on hand as fans file past to get their copies of the $59.99 game for the Xbox 360. Fans who need the legendary edition will fork over $129.99.
One of those on line will be Johnathan Lugo, 22, of the Bronx. "This," said Lugo, "is the biggest thing out there."
Earlier this week actor Jim Broadbent confirmed he will be portraying Professor Horace Slughorn in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie, and there has been much interest and inquiries about the man who will be playing this pivotal character in movie six. The Telegraph has a new interview today with the acclaimed actor which does provide some insight and background that fans might enjoy reading. While Jim Broadbent does not discuss his role as the new Potions Master in the Harry Potter film, there is the following humorous exchange regarding academics of sort:
‘I suppose I am very aware that I am not academic at all, that university was never an option. I suppose I’ve got a what’s the word thing.’
Complex? ‘Complex about not being intellectual.’
So how did he overcome that complex to play an intellectual in Iris? ‘I think I might be intelligent but not clever. I didn’t have the A-levels.’
He was expelled for drinking, he adds in his monotonal way. ‘But only after A-levels. I was told I had to leave immediately after sitting my A-levels, which wasn’t a great hardship. Except I didn’t get to do the leavers’ play.’
I’m sure that he has been asked back to his school as the conquering hero many times since. ‘No, I haven’t actually. I must be down on the list: Expelled.’
Production is underway on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and the film will be released in theaters November 21, 2008.
We have several updates today regarding a few Harry Potter products.
First, NECA has launched the second in their special Harry Potter action figure features, as the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Series 2 is now online. In this feature you can see more on the Professor Dumbledore, Death Eaters, Harry Potter, and Professor Snape action figures, including some cool photos of the sculptures used to create Snape based on actor Alan Rickman. The previous Harry Potter action figures released from NECA earlier this summer remain available here in our Cauldron Shop,and we will update once Series 2 is available. Also be sure to check out the talking Hagrid action figure which was released recently.
On a related note, if you liked those Death Eater toys, just in time for Halloween, the new Death Eater costumes and masks are now available in our Cauldron Shop.
The second update involves the second edition of the Harry Potter Scene It? DVD game which we told you about earlier this year. For those who have not experienced this Harry Potter DVD game, there is now a new online demo from this second edition of the game, which you can play via this link. Enjoy!
Finally, the first four of the new High Definition Harry Potter DVDs that are due to be released on December 11 here in the US, including the standard format and the high definition format DVD box set with Order of the Phoenix, are now available for pre-order via our Cauldron Shop. All purchase made via our Cauldron Shop help support the entire Floo Network, and your continued support is most appreciated!
While we still have several months to go in 2007, many of you are planning your Harry Potter travels for 2008. As such, we have a few updates regarding the various Harry Potter conferences set for next year.
First, Portus 2008, the Harry Potter symposium set for Dallas Texas July 10-13 2008 has now announced their first keynote speaker: Dr. Henry Jenkins. Tickets to the luncheon featuring the author of “Beyond the Borders of the Book: The Transformative Power of Fandom in the Age of Media Convergence,” and other books, will go on sale later this week, so be sure to check the Portus2008.org website soon for your chance to hear this exciting speaker. As a reminder, Floo Partner and Lexicon founder Steve Vander Ark will also be speaking at both the Welcoming and Leaving Feasts for Portus. For more information on this HPEF event (and be sure to check out the recently revamped website), click here.
Accio 2008 is a Harry Potter event set in the UK that will be held at the lovely Magdalen College, Oxford England July 25-27 2008. There is a call for papers that is ongoing, with more information on this via this link. To learn more about travel, programming and the location of this three day Harry Potter conference, be sure to explore the Accio 2008 website.
The windy city will be the site of Terminus, the Harry Potter conference set for August 7-11, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois. The conference, which will feature a host of academic and exploratory programing, is currently open for registration. Be sure to sign up for this already popular event, as ticket prices will rise at the end of October.
There are also two more events planned for next year, Convention Alley 2 in Ottawa, Ontario Canada , and Snidget 2008 to be held in Australia, however the websites for these events are unavailable at the moment, and we are unable to provide more information on these events at this time.UPDATE: HPEVENTS Australia has announced that unfortunately, Snidget 2008 has been canceled.
5. JUNGLE GIRL #1 Written by Frank Cho and Doug Murray; art by Adriano Batista, cover by Frank Cho Dynamite Entertainment $2.99
Not to be confused with Marvel's Sheena the She-Devil comic that writer/artist Frank Cho did recently we have a totally original creationy by Cho here that only looks exactly like Sheena and is only slightly different in concept. But what really matters is that Frank Cho knows how to deliver what his fans want - expertly drawn boobies. Yes, I know he doesn't draw the interiors of this book but it's got his signature in every crisp cleavage line.
Mysterious jungle islands, dinosaurs and leopard-skin clad buxom girls are a winning combination as Frank Cho knows very well.
4. MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #1 Written by Marc Guggenheim, Stuart & Kathryn Immonen, Stuart Moore, Rich Koslowski; Art by Stuart Immonen, Clayton Henry, Dave Wilkins Marvel Comics 48 pgs | $3.99
Marvel has revived their anthology title with a new #1 issue and the opening chapters of 4 new stories featuring a nice mix of popular and somewhat obscure characters from their universe. There is of course an obligatory Spider-man story in which he finds himself whisked off to space. There's two stories that affect the Marvel Universe as a whole- one that explores the mystery of something called "The System" and the other a murder mystery involving a man named Damien Cross. Then there's the story that kind of excites me - a Hellcat story by the husband and wife team of Stuart and Kathryn Immonen. Hellcat probably was at the height of her relatively low popularity in the 1970s when she was a member of the Defenders and has been on the outskirts of the Marvel universe lately. Stuart Immonen has been adding his unique style to a number of Marvel books lately like Ultimate Spider-man and Nextwave. You can see a sneak peak of their story in the thumbnails below.
This is the big ticket item of the week. Unless you avoid all news related to comics you probably know what happened to Captain America recently. What you may not know is that the Captain America comic has been one of Marvel's critical hits over the past couple of years thanks to new writer Ed Brubaker. With his penchant for street level crime drama and 70s-era action films, Brubaker turned Cap's book into a cinematic spy drama. Thanks to the realism of Steve Epting's art, reading this book is like watching a Captain America movie.
The first 25 issues of Brubaker's Captain America series is collected here plus the 65th anniversary special, the Winter Soldier special and some other extras. Lots of big things happen in this volume including the return of Cap's WWII partner Bucky and the big death in issue #25.
Recently, DC relaunched their Tales of the Unexpected anthology with a main feature starring the Spectre which received very little acclaim. The surrpise hit of that book was the backup story about a little known DC occult character named Dr. Thirteen. Thanks to the creative team of Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets) and Cliff Chiang (Human Target) this 8-part story was quirky, fun and full of supernatural strangeness. Now you can enjoy it on its own, minus the dire and drab Spectre story that it was backing up.
1. UMBRELLA ACADEMY #1 Written by Gerard Way; art by Gabriel Ba Dark Horse 32 pgs | $2.99
Gerard Way, frontman for the band My Chemical Romance, is the latest rock star to make the step up into the sexy business of making comics (not too long ago we previewed a comic by the bassist of the band Low so it's a trend). Way's comic has been hotly anticipated and he is joined by a fantastic pair of artists: Gabriel Ba (Casanova) on interior art and James Jean (Fables) on covers.
The concept of Way's book is about a team of child superheroes who have grown up into dysfunctional adults and regroup after the death of their leader and "parent". There is lots of global threats as well as family bickering.
Australian superbands Powderfinger and Silverchair rocked tens of thousands of revellers at Claremont Oval last night, with the fun set to continue again tonight with the second of two Perth shows during the Across the Great Divide tour.
The crowd had the chance to turn the tables on the rock idols, belting out a rendition of Happy Birthday to mark Silverchair bassist Chris Joannou’s birthday.
Silverchair opened the concert, with popular frontman Daniel Johns telling the sold-out arena that it was a pleasure to be back in Perth.
Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning later hailed the Perth crowd “by far the biggest and loudest” of the tour to date.
See Monday’s edition of The West Australian for the full report on the Perth leg of the Across the Great Divide concert.
Former NIRVANA star DAVE GROHL insists he was more than former bandmate KURT COBAIN's "sideman", maintaining his role was fundamental to the band's success. The Foo Fighters frontman, 38, insists he and bassist Krist Novoselic played crucial roles in creating the 90s band's distinct sound and is tired of being overshadowed by late singer Cobain. He says, "I was actually Nirvana's fifth drummer and if you listen to the recordings with the previous guys you will notice it sounds different. "Krist and I have been called sidemen to Kurt for f**king years - that lawsuit is done with, y'know? "We've been called hired guns and I just laugh. Anyone who has ever been in a band, hell... anyone who has ever even listened to a band, understands what happens when one of those elements is removed from the combination. It just falls apart."
Dave Grohl is sick of being considered nothing more than Nirvana’s fifth drummer, asserting that he (and bassist Krist Novoselic) were just as important to the band as Kurt Cobain: “We’ve been called hired guns and I just laugh … when one of those elements is removed from the combination. It just falls apart.” Earlier this week, Courtney Love resolved a Nirvana-related legal matter and agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to lawyers who represented her during her 2002 lawsuit against Grohl and Novoselic for control of Nirvana’s music.
There is good news for Hindi speaking Harry Potter fans. The Hindi edition of the sixth instalment of the Harry Potter series, 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince', was launched Saturday.
'Breaking the language barrier, the translation is available as 'Harry Potter aur Half-Blood Prince' giving the quality and feel of international standards,' said Vikas Rakheja, the managing director of Manjul Publishing House which has been publishing the Indian language editions of the Harry Potter books in India.
'The cover of the Hindi edition is from US-based Warner Bros, which is different from that of that Britain-based Bloomsbury edition available in India.
'While the translation of the fifth part of the series was released in May this year, the translation of the sixth book in the series has been released prior to schedule in view of the heavy demand by Hindi-speaking children,' said Rakheja.
'We have been receiving scores of e-mails, phone calls and letters every day demanding that all the remaining parts be published in Hindi as quickly as possible. The translation of the seventh book is expected to be released by December,' he said, adding that most of the major international language translations will also be out only by December 2007 or January 2008.
Rakheja claimed that the Bhopal-based Manjul Publishing House is the only publication house in the country that has rights to publish the translations of the Harry Potter series in Hindi and a few other Indian languages.
He added that a lot of die-hard Harry Potter fans in India, who have read all the English books in the series, are now looking at making the Hindi editions a part of their collection. There is also considerable interest from collectors internationally, who, though unable to read Hindi, are nonetheless ordering them just for their collection.
So, despite being so out of touch with modern rock that I had no idea who Gerard Way was until I read some promotional stuff in the back of the book, I was deeply impressed by his collaboration with the original artist for my beloved Casanova, Gabriel Ba, in Dark Horse’s Free Comic Book Day offering. So much so that I eagerly anticipated the ongoing it was serving as a preview for. Now that it’s here, and I’ve actually heard a couple of My Chemical Romance songs, was it worth the wait?I would say so, yes. The book does remind me a lot of Casanova, and not just because of Ba’s stellar visuals and the frentic pace that gives you a satisfying single issue experience while building an interesting ongoing plot on the edges, complete with a cool cliffhanger that gives you an idea where things are going and makes you want to pick up the next issue. It’s that they’re both the comic book equivalent of my favorite Cajun dish, gumbo.
There are a lot of comics out there that throw everything up to and including the kitchen sink in to the mix to create something different from your usual genre experience while still being, at the end of the day, action/adventure stories. They’re like gumbo, because they may not be good for you, and if the mix is off, they’re awul, but when everything goes right, all the flavors blend and you have something wonderful.
Street Angel was an example of how this approach can burn out quickly (or at least lose its appeal to its creators, from what I can gather). Scott Pilgrim, that other internet darling, does it. But Casanova and Umbrella Academy seem like the best examples of this approach to me, as they toss a variety of influences and genre elements in to the stew, mix ‘em up, and give you a piping hot single issue stew.
Where Fraction will spell out exactly what ingredients went in to his stew in the commentary sections in the back of the book, Way’s a little more canny, if for no other reason than that he isn’t writing creative process essays in the back of the book (yet, at least). But they’re pretty easy to identify. Ba’s art, with its Mignola-isms, calls to mind Hellboy. Lead character the Monocle, and the encyclopedia article in the back of the book, call to mind the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The absurdity permeating the whole thing, from the kids in prep school uniforms and domino masks to a rampaging Eiffel Tower, is reminiscent of Grant Morrison (and Spaceboy, a character with a superhero’s head and an ape’s body, could be straight out of Doom Patrol). And the set up itself is basically the X-Men if Xavier was a cold bastard who openly mocked some of his students for being lame and useless.
All of this, along with the prolific Dave Stewart’s colors which make everything better, gives you a very satisfying reading experience. It’s very impressive, especially coming from a neophyte comic book writer moonlighting from another field like Way. Now, we’ve all been burned by this kind of stuff before (I still hold a grudge against Kevin Smith for Spider-Man/Black Cat, although I have to begrudingly admit to liking Clerks II), and Scott Allie openly admits in his editorial Way’s day job made him less than eager to read the pitch for this book. But he, like I, had his preconceptions challenged by it. Even if I hadn’t really enjoyed this first issue as much as I did, Allie’s track record would have caused me to stick with it; the guy’s been involved in some great books, so I trust that he knows of what he speaks. With him vouching for the book, consider me along for the ride. You could do worse than pour yourself a bowl and see if this gumbo works for you, too, even if you don’t think Teenagers** is a cool song.
*I would say mash up, but I like gumbo more, and mash up is too damn ubiquitous a phrase anyway. Speaking of mash ups, I found the MTV Video Music Awards watchable for the first time since I was like 15 because you had things like Fall Out Boy playing for Rihanna. I just felt like mentioning that, since I do feel like Rip Van Winkle when it comes to pop music these days, so it’s weird to actually like some of this stuff.
**It’s funny because it’s true; after a semester of teaching high school (sort of), teenagers really do scare the living shit out of me.
The life and work of Kurt Cobain will long be discussed, theorized and anayzed. To that end, rock journalist and author Michael Azerrad presents 'About a Son,' a film that documents the Nirvana frontman's life, using more than 25 hours of never-before-heard audiotaped interviews between Azerrad and Cobain.
The movie, which opens in New York and L.A. on October 3, set is set to music compiled by producer Steve Fisk and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard, with the soundtrack featuring audio excerpts from the film as well as covers by Gibbard, Half Japanese and more.
Download Half Japanese's 'Pour Some Sugar on It,' and keep reading for the full tracklisting and the film trailer.
'Kurt Cobain About a Son': Music from the Motion Picture
1. Steve Fisk & Benjamin Gibbard, Overture 2. 'never intended' [interview excerpt] 3. Arlo Guthrie, 'Motorcycle Song' 4. The Melvins, 'Eye Flys' 5. 'punk rock' [interview excerpt] 6. Bad Brains, 'Banned In D.C.' 7. Creedence Clearwater Revival, 'Up Around The Bend' 8. Half Japanese, 'Put Some Sugar On It' 9. The Vaselines, 'Son Of A Gun' 10. Butthole Surfers, 'Graveyard' 11. hardcore was dead [interview excerpt] 12. Scratch Acid ,O'wner's Lament' 13. Mudhoney, 'Touch Me I'm Sick' 14. 'car radio' [interview excerpt] 15. Iggy Pop, 'The Passenger' 16. Lead Belly, 'The Bourgeois Blues' 17. R.E.M., 'New Orleans Instrumental No. 1' 18. 'the limelight' [interview excerpt] 19. David Bowie, 'The Man Who Sold The World' 20. Mark Lanegan, 'Museum' 21. Benjamin Gibbard, 'Indian Summer '
When Dave Grohl formed the Foo Fighters, some critics didn’t give him much chance of survival. His previous band, Nirvana, may have changed the world but, without Kurt Cobain, drummer Dave was laughed off as the “grunge Ringo” by one writer.
Twelve years later, it is Grohl, now a happily-married father and frontman of one of the world’s most in-demand rock bands, who has had the last laugh.
The Foos’ new album, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, is the band’s sixth and is set to consolidate their reputation for blistering and impassioned songs which range from mindblowing sonic assaults to melodic acoustic beauties. So, not bad for the former grunge Ringo, eh Dave?
“Ha, ha, ha. That’s not a name tag I wear every day, that’s for sure,” laughs the 38-year-old. “My perspective on what’s happened in the last 16 years is a bit different to everyone else’s. I started playing in bands as a teenager, not as a career option but as a way to find weed and not have to work. When Nirvana became popular it was unexpected – no one thought that would happen to our band.
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“I’ve always considered myself a lucky musician. It’s funny when somebody calls me the grunge Ringo, but really I’m just a pothead from suburban Virginia who wound up finding his way into a band who became really popular in the early 1990s.”
Grohl is relaxing in his suburban home in LA’s San Fernando Valley dressed in T-shirt and shorts – very grunge. He’s off to rehearse soon, once his 16-month-old daughter Violet, snoozing happily nearby, wakes up.
“She’s very curious, energetic, mild mannered but almost fearless,” smiles doting Dave. “She’s looks like my wife. She’s tall and beautiful, smart, clever, co-ordinated and a dream come true.
“Every day is a new adventure with her. She’s not the sort of kid to sit around drooling all day, she needs to do it now. She needs to get out get in the yard, get on the motorcycle… whatever. She’s out of her mind!” Not for nothing is Grohl known as the nicest man in rock. He looks back on Nirvana – the most influential band of the last 20 years – with a pleasing mix of pride and modesty.
“We were just three guys trying to make our way playing music,” he says. “I think the effect the band had was more to do with everyone else than the band, y’know? “When we went to rehearsals in Tacoma, Washington, to write music, there wasn’t a whole lot of world domination in mind. We’d begin with an impromptu free-form noise jam and a lot of songs came out of that – from Smells Like Teen Spirit to Come As You Are. All of those dynamic quiet/loud songs came out of those jams.
“I was actually Nirvana’s fifth drummer and if you listen to the recordings with the previous guys you will notice it sounds different. Krist Novoselic and I have been called sidemen to Kurt for f****** years – that lawsuit is done with, y’know?
“We’ve been called hired guns and I just laugh. Anyone who has ever been in a band, hell… anyone who has ever even listened to a band, understands what happens when one of those elements is removed from the combination. It just falls apart.”
Although he has had his share of drink and drug-fuelled high times, Grohl these days is happy and settled. That new-found stability is down to the two leading ladies in his life – Violet and second wife Jordyn Blum, a former producer for MTV.
“When I met her, Jordyn was a very responsible, grounded and professional woman,” recalls Dave. “Those were usually the type of girls I’d run a mile from – y’know, that makes too much sense, that’s too good. So I’d find the craziest girl in the room and date her.
“Jordyn was the first time I ever met someone I felt could take care of me. I thought, ‘Well, eventually I am going to need that, so I should make this happen’, and we did make it happen.”
Fatherhood has certainly impacted on the Foos’ future because Dave insists there will be no more long tours.
“I know some people can stay away from home for three months and feel OK with that,” he says, “but I can’t. I’ve been doing it for 20 years now so it was inevitable that at some point I was going to miss home. I never really had a home to miss until recently. Now when I’m away I feel it.
“Since I’m in charge of this huge organisation, I just tell everyone that I don’t want to be away for more than two weeks – and that is exactly what happens.”
With one eye on Violet and the other on his impending rehearsal, Dave has a parting thought.
“To be honest, rock ’n’ roll isn’t the most important thing to me,” he smiles. “The most important thing is becoming a good father and being a family man.”
Don’t be fooled by the names. Dave Grohl – the man they used to call the grunge Ringo – is obviously more a lover than a Fighter.
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace is released on Monday.
Filter is very proud to present the exclusive first look at the trailer for About A Son the new documentary about Kurt Cobain from AJ Schnack. The movie splices together new footage with photographs to Cobain’s story using audio from over 25 hours of tape gleaned from interview sessions between Cobain and Michael Azzerad, author of Come As You Are: The Story Of Nirvana.
The soundtrack to About A Son is available from Barsuk Records and features many of the artists Cobain cites as influences, as well a score by musician and producer Steve Fisk and Death Cab for Cutie frontman Benjamin Gibbard.
About A Son Tracklisting:
01. Steve Fisk & Benjamin Gibbard - Overture 02. "never intended" [interview excerpt] 03. Arlo Guthrie - Motorcycle Song 04. The Melvins - Eye Flys 05. "punk rock" [interview excerpt] 06. Bad Brains - Banned In D.C. 07. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend 08. Half Japanese - Put Some Sugar On It 09. The Vaselines - Son Of A Gun 10. Butthole Surfers - Graveyard 11. "hardcore was dead" [interview excerpt] 12. Scratch Acid - Owner's Lament 13. Mudhoney - Touch Me I'm Sick 14. "car radio" [interview excerpt] 15. Iggy Pop - The Passenger 16. Lead Belly - The Bourgeois Blues 17. R.E.M. - New Orleans Instrumental No. 1 18. "the limelight" [interview excerpt] 19. David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World 20. Mark Lanegan - Museum 21. Benjamin Gibbard - Indian Summer
It may have a been a day late, but for Aussie music fans it was well worth the wait.
Last night's Across the Great Divide concert at the Ballarat Showgrounds in Victoria starred Australian rockers Powderfinger and Silverchair, plus homegrown Ballarat band and concert support act Epicure.
Originally planned for Sunday night, concert promoters were forced to postpone the show to last night after strong winds tore a 15-metre hole in the roof of the tent on Sunday afternoon.
Silverchair's entrance onto the stage last night was met with a deafening applause.
The screams and cheers got even louder when Silverchair's Daniel Johns took off his jacket halfway through the set.
"Daniel Johns is really hot," Teagan Prentice, 18, told The Courier last night.
"And this is definitely the biggest concert to hit Ballarat."
Silverchair was joined on stage by the band's `best friend in the whole wide world', Australian musician, producer and remixer Paul Mac.
Next up was the ARIA-award-winning Powderfinger, who proved to be a crowd favourite.
Band hits such as Lost and Running My Happiness, and These Days had both young and old singing and dancing the night away under the big top tent.
One of the youngest in the crowd was 11-year-old Charlie Sher.
The grade five Ballarat Grammar pupil said he had been looking forward to the concert `for ages'.
"I like Powderfinger the best because they have a good singer," he said.
In a sign of thanks to the Ballarat crowd for its patience, the two bands united on stage at the night's end for a joint encore performance of The Who's Substitute.
As concert-goer Pete Bridges told The Ballarat Courier last night, the concert truly was a `once in a lifetime experience'.
More news comes today concerning the French edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows we’ve been telling you about in recent weeks. A short time ago, French publishers Gallimard revealed the long awaited cover art for their edition of the seventh book in J. K. Rowling’s series. You can view this most awesome cover art by artist Jean-Claude Götting in our Image Galleries by clicking here.
This edition is scheduled to hit bookshelves October 26th.
30 Seconds To Mars 
NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Sire Records) - "Venus Doom," the new album from Sire recording artists HIM, captured the No.12 spot this week on Billboard's Hot 100 chart - the Finnish rock band's highest debut to date. Released on 
My Chemical Romance plans to release two more singles from their hit album, "The Black Parade."
Too often we pass judgement on the plight of our Aboriginal brethren with apathetic flippancy. It is precisely this issue that two of Australia’s most celebrated bands have chosen to draw attention to on their latest double-headed national tour. 
Out on Chrom Dreams, which also released the Depeche Mode biopic DVD "
HIM - "The Lowdown" 2CD set
Rocker Dave Grohl almost turned his back on music after Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain killed himself in 1994.
announced that the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD will be released on December 11th in the States.
The Foo Fighters
