Music Insight - News, CD and Concert Reviews - News

Queen Tour Slated For Spring 2005

Tue, 14 Dec 2004 00:15:43 -0800

Queen fans have had 13 years to deal with the death of Freddie Mercury and the fact that the remaining members had no desire to go on without them. They're in for a pleasant surprise, as Queen guitarist Brian May has announced on his website that Queen will reform and tour in early 2005. Apparently May recently played onstage with Paul Rodgers (formerly of Free, Bad Company and The Firm), and they both had such a great time that they've decided to tour together. Queen drummer Roger Taylor will be involved, but there has not been any confirmation as to whether John Deacon will be joining his former bandmates.

Warped Tour fans: "Taste Of Chaos" dates

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 18:16:40 -0700

Fans of the Warped Tour can start making plans for a series of indoor winter shows being organized by the Warped Tour creator, Kevin Lyman. The Taste Of Chaos tour will kick off on February 18 in Orlando, and feature 38 dates across North America, with a finale on April 2nd in Phoenix. Performers will include The Used, My Chemical Romance, Killswitch Engage, A Static Lullaby, Senses Fail, Converge, Underoath, Saosin, and some special guests.

Taste of Chaos Tour Dates:
Feb 18 Orlando FL
Feb 19 Miami FL
Feb 20 Jacksonville FL
Feb 22 Norfolk VA
Feb 23 Poughkeepsie NY
Feb 24 New York City NY
Feb 25 Philadelphia PA
Feb 26 Asbury Park NJ
Feb 27 Washington DC
Feb 28 Boston MA
Mar 2 Portland ME
Mar 3 Montreal CANADA
Mar 4 Toronto CANADA
Mar 5 London CANADA
Mar 6 Dayton OH
Mar 8 Toledo OH
Mar 9 Chicago IL
Mar 10 Cleveland OH
Mar 11 Detroit MI
Mar 12 Milwaukee WI
Mar 13 Lincoln NE
Mar 14 Minneapolis MN
Mar 15 Champaign/Peoria IL
Mar 16 Fargo or OFF ND
Mar 17 Kansas City/Topeka KS
Mar 18 Dallas TX
Mar 19 Houston TX
Mar 20 Corpus Christi TX
Mar 22 Denver CO
Mar 24 Calgary CANADA
Mar 25 Vancouver CANADA
Mar 26 Seattle WA
Mar 28 San Francisco/San Jose CA
Mar 29 Fresno CA
Mar 30 San Bernardino/Bakersfield/Irvine CA
Mar 31 San Diego CA
Apr 1 Los Angeles CA
Apr 2 Phoenix AZ

New Live Aid DVD, Christmas Single On The Way

Fri, 01 Apr 2005 18:25:37 -0800

The 1985 Live Aid concert, featuring dozens of bands in two concerts in London and Philadelphia, will at last be available on DVD. The concerts were organized by Bob Geldof's Band Aid Trust in an attempt to raise funds to fight the effects of a devastating famine in Africa.

The shows took place on July 13th, 1985, and featured a truly star-studded cast, including Eric Clapton, U2, David Bowie, Queen, Madonna, Sting, The Who and many others. Seen by a worldwide audience of 1.5 billion, the shows raised over $140 million to fight hunger.

The shows were originally meant to be a one-off, not for sale to the public, but bootleggers started selling copies of the show on Ebay, prompting the Band Aid Trust to allow the release of the show on a 4-DVD set.

In related news, members of the British pop scene assembled last weekend to record a new version of the "Do They Know It's Christmas" charity single. The new version, billed to "Band Aid 20", will feature Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, The Darkness' Justin Hawkins, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Blur's Damon Albarn, Jamelia, Daniel Bedingfield, Dido, Joss Stone and others. The single will be released in time for Christmas, and will almost certainly top the British charts.

Eminem, Destiny's Child Releases To Arrive Early

Sun, 20 Mar 2005 17:09:41 -0800

Two big fall music releases will be arriving early. Eminem's Encore and Destiny's Child's Destiny Fulfilled have had the release dates for their new CDs bumped, due to some combination of "overwhelming demand", "leaks to internet" and "CD piracy". Destiny Fulfilled had originally been scheduled for release on Tuesday, Nov. 16, but will now hit the stores one day earlier, on November 15th. The original release date for Encore was also November 16, but the CD will now be available on Friday, November 12.

An interesting pattern is developing here. The record companies are pencilling in tentative release dates for their products, but can't control every single CD. They must keep an eye on the black market music distribution channels (internet MP3 sharing and counterfeiters, for example) and be ready to release their products early if necessary.

In related news, U2 haven't made plans to bump the release date of their newest release, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, despite the fact that mp3 copies of it have hit internet file-sharing networks. The CD is due for release in America on November 23rd.

Pixies Release Live MP3 Downloads

Tue, 14 Dec 2004 00:17:14 -0800

It's been a good year for fans of The Pixies. The band, who had broken up in the early 90s, reformed and toured extensively. Reviews of the shows were positive, and the band members seemed to get along very well. Special recording and CD duplicating equipment followed the tour, allowing fans the opportunity to purchase an MP3 recording of the concert they had just seen. But what about the fans who couldn't get tickets, or who lived in a city that wasn't a tour stop? We have good news for them, as the Pixies have made the live recordings of many of their recent shows available as MP3 downloads. The shows are in 256kbps MP3 format, and are available for $11.99 each at the Pixies' official download store.

The Darkness Deny European Tour Cancellation Rumours

Sat, 20 Nov 2004 21:44:22 -0800

British band The Darkness issued a statement on their official website on November 1st in an attempt to quash rumours that their frontman, Justin Hawkins, had badly injured his hand, jeopardizing plans for an upcoming tour. The New Musical Express had reported that Hawkins had been hospitalized with a badly damaged hand, forcing the band to search for a rent-a-guitarist for their tour of Europe.

The Darkness' website claims that Justin did cut his hand, but that it will heal in time for Hawkins to fully rock out with his bandmates, and that there is "absolutely no danger" of scuttling the tour. Justin will also be available for the recording of the 20th anniversary version of the Band-Aid single.

Jay-Z, R. Kelly Trade Tour Plans For Court Plans

Sat, 20 Nov 2004 21:45:09 -0800

The Best Of Both Worlds tour, originally slated to feature R. Kelly and Jay-Z, will continue despite the departure of R. Kelly. The shows will now be billed as "Jay-Z and Friends", and the November 5th show in Miami will feature P. Diddy and Mary J. Blige.

The tour was scheduled to run through November, and feature an R&B meets Hip-Hop bill, but everything went wrong during the Madison Square Garden show where, according to R. Kelly, he was threatened by audience members with guns and pepper sprayed backstage by associates of Jay-Z. Reports of the incident vary widely, although R. Kelly's website claims that R. Kelly was willing to continue with the tour despite the unpleasant events at the Gardens, but that Jay-Z refused to perform, causing the promoter to pull the plug on the tour. According to reports by VH-1, R. Kelly has sued Jay-Z for $75 million in damages, including lost revenue from the tour and punitive damages.

Warped Tour Fans Get "A Taste Of Chaos"

Mon, 22 Nov 2004 22:50:10 -0800

The man behind the Warped Tour has announced that he'll be organizing an "indoor, wintertime festival" that will bring a wide roster of bands to arenas this winter. Kevin Lyman says that the headliners will be The Used, and that "Fans should expect some interesting surprises." More details, as well as a tour website, will be coming soon.

UPDATE: Dates have been announced!!

Melissa Etheridge Recovering From Cancer Surgery

Wed, 10 Nov 2004 01:07:34 -0800

Melissa Etheridge made a statement on her website Friday, letting her fans know that she was at home recovering from breast cancer surgery. According to Etheridge, doctors removed a tumor and a pair of lymph nodes. Melissa will be undergoing a round of chemotherapy and hopes to begin writing songs and working on a television pilot after her treatment ends. She thanked her fans for their outpouring of support, and urged them to vote in the American presidential elections on November 2nd.

Concert Review: Vote For Change Finale Concert

Sun, 07 Nov 2004 23:05:39 -0800

The Vote For Change Tour wrapped up with a high-powered concert at Washington DC's MCI Center on Monday as a wide array of acts rocked the house in the name of political change. The acts have criss-crossed the country over the past weeks, playing 34 shows in nine so-called "battleground states", and attempting to convince music lovers to get out and vote in the upcoming US presidential elections.

John Mellencamp opened the show, performing hits including "Authority Song" and "Pink Houses". The lyrics to "Walk Tall" seemed to set the tone for the evening when he sang "The simple minded/And the uninformed/Can be easily led astray". It was obvious from the very beginning that the performers were there to entertain, but also to educate and inform.

Genre-crossing guest appearances and cover tunes were the order of the day. Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds covered Eric Clapton's "Change The World". Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Keb' Mo' did Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth". REM was joined by Bruce Springsteen on "Man On The Moon", while Pearl Jam provided a passionate rendering of Bob Dylan's "Masters Of War". James Taylor teamed up with The Dixie Chicks on "Sweet Baby James", "Some Days You Gotta Dance" and "Shower The People". The Chicks' reach exceeded their grasp when they covered Dylan's "Mississippi".

Crowd favorite Bruce Springsteen opened with an ornate twelve-string version of "The Star Spangled Banner". "No Surrender", recently used by the Kerry campaign, made an appearance, as did "Born In The USA". The latter was once almost hijacked by Ronald Reagan's handlers, until someone told them that it was ironic and not patriotic. Springsteen was joined onstage by John Fogerty, whose incendiary "Fortunate Son" seemed tailor-made for the occasion. Michael Stipe joined Bruce and the E-Street Band on a thunderous cover of Patti Smith's "Because The Night", while his bandmates Peter Buck and Mike Mills lent a hand on "Born To Run".

The message-laden finale brought all of the performers out for a run at Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding", and Patti Smith's "People Have The Power".

James Taylor's advice for undecided voters: "Look at the two guys. Just choose the smart one."

Crue Guitarist Mick Mars Gets New Hip

Wed, 03 Nov 2004 23:16:17 -0800

According to a report on the Motley Crue website, guitarist Mick Mars underwent hip replacement surgery Tuesday. The guitarist suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, an incurable chronic degenerative disease. Apparently the surgery went well and medical staff expect Mars to be walking with help from his therapist by Wednesday morning.

Big Day Out 2005 Lineup Announced

Sun, 07 Nov 2004 23:08:44 -0800

Music fans in Australia and New Zealand can look forward to performances by the Beastie Boys, System Of A Down, The Chemical Brothers and more, as a part of the upcoming Big Day Out 2005 tour. Tickets will be available on October 15th, and tour stops include Auckland, Gold Coast, Syndey, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Not all bands will play all dates of the tour. The full roster of bands that will be playing at any of the dates includes:

Beastie Boys
System Of A Down
Chemical Brothers
The Music
The Streets
The Donnas
Freestylers
Powderfinger
Grinspoon
John Butler Trio
Concord Dawn
Eskimo Joe
Infusion
Butterfingers
Little Birdy
Dallas Crane
Shihad
Misfits Of Science
The Bleeders
Trinity Roots
D4
Steriogram

Vote For Change: A Better World Through Rock

Sun, 17 Oct 2004 14:28:43 -0700

The American Presidential race is in the home stretch, with candidates George Bush and John Kerry effectively tied in the polls. Since the race is so close, both sides are searching high and low for groups of voters open to their message. If you're young, and American, and in a hotly contested state, and you really don't care about any of this, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. The MoveOn PAC is attempting to raise political awareness in the young, rock-loving, politically inert youth of today by organizing a concert tour featuring some high-profile talent.

The Vote For Change Tour will travel to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Washington and Arizona, giving music fans the opportunity to see shows featuring Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, REM, Dixie Chicks, James Taylor, the Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, John Mellencamp, Babyface Edmonds, Death Cab For Cutie, Jurassic 5, My Morning Jacket and a few other special guests. The bands won't all be playing at all of the shows, or in the same cities, but will be targetting various markets throughout the so-called "battleground states". Most of the performers will join together in a star-studded finale in Washington DC on Monday, October 11th.

Tour organizers hope that the concerts will raise awareness and inspire the sullen, self-absorbed youth of America to get off the couch and vote on November 2nd. Even if you're sick of politics and the American presidential race, this is a great opportunity to see some great shows.

U2 Releases Vertigo, Announces How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

Wed, 24 Nov 2004 16:45:30 -0800

Fans of U2 can now download the band's new single, Vertigo, from their local iTunes site. Fans who go to the official U2 website can also download a short video clip of the band performing Vertigo in the studio. Also available are photos taken of the band while filming the video. U2's new album, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, will be released on November 23, and features the following tracks:

1. Vertigo
2. Miracle Drug
3. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
4. Love And Peace Or Else
5. City Of Blinding Lights
6. All Because Of You
7. A Man And A Woman
8. Crumbs From Your Table
9. One Step Closer
10. Original Of The Species
11. Yahweh

Welcome Back Mase!

Wed, 03 Nov 2004 23:26:19 -0800

Now where the hell are you?

Mase fans have been eagerly awaiting the heavily-hyped Welcome Back concert, scheduled for September 25th in Long Island. According to MTV News, the show, which was was to feature Mase and Friends, ended up featuring all friends, and no Mase. Fans were welcome to see Lil' Flip, Mobb Deep, Elephant Man and Fat Joe and the Terror Squad, but anyone who was counting on seeing Mase was welcome to their money back.

According to the promoter, Mase was paid in full ($45,000), in advance and was given plane tickets from Atlanta to New York. Apparently Mase called on the day before the show and said he would not be performing, but would instead be staying with his wife and son.