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Post by quettalee on Jan 23, 2006 0:53:23 GMT -5
Music Sales Resumed Decline in 2005 Jan 22, 06:43 PM EST By LAURENCE FROST - AP Business Writer
CANNES, France (AP) -- Recorded music sales resumed their decline in 2005, the industry's leading global body said Sunday, despite high-profile victories against piracy and a surge in online and mobile music store revenues.
Global music retail revenues fell about 2 percent last year, said John Kennedy, chairman and CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. In 2004 they remained flat at $33.6 billion, punctuating a four-year slide.
The new downturn, based on data from three-quarters of the global market, underlined major challenges facing record companies as executives assembled for the music industry's largest European gathering, Midem, which is taking place this week in the French Riviera town of Cannes.
The drop in overall sales came despite a threefold increase in digital music revenue to $1.1 billion from $380 million, while illegal file-sharing volumes changed little, according to a separate IFPI market report published Thursday. The federation sees total sales broadly unchanged in 2006.
Record bosses are now having to look beyond piracy to explain the latest decline in revenues, which have fallen about 20 percent globally since 1999.
"Piracy in all its forms has been the major factor in this reversal but not the only factor," said Eric Nicoli, chairman of EMI Group PLC, the world's No. 3 record company.
Speaking at the MidemNet music technology forum, which preceded the main event, Nicoli also cited tougher competition from other categories of consumer goods.
"Twenty years ago there were no mobile phones, no DVDs, no computer games to speak of," he said. "In categories that did exist, like magazines, cosmetics and designer clothes, we've seen a massive explosion of choice and accessibility to consumers. So no surprise, then, that music sales have come under pressure."
EMI and other record companies are also pressing Apple Computer Inc. to allow more pricing flexibility on its iTunes Music Store, which charges the same rate for any song downloaded - 99 cents for U.S. customers. They have argued - so far without success - that they should be able to charge more for the most sought-after hits.
Apple's iTunes accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. and British online music sales and has significant shares of its 19 other markets. Its popularity is widely credited with halting the growth of piracy, but record companies complain that this has come at the price of a loss of control over their own pricing and marketing.
"One of the biggest mistakes we've made is to hand a monopoly to the retailer," said Alison Wenham, chairman and chief executive of the Association of Independent Music, which represents 800 indie labels.
Some analysts see other reasons for the industry's current woes. "Executives have focused so much of their attention on piracy that they've diverted their efforts from developing new talent," said Phil Leigh of Inside Digital Media, a U.S. market research firm.
Entertainment companies won a series of major court rulings against music piracy in 2005, including a June U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing them sue the file-sharing site Grokster for encouraging copyright infringement. Grokster paid $50 million to settle out of court and closed down the site pending a planned switch to licensed sales.
But anti-piracy laws and their enforcement remain patchy in some parts of the world. Record companies, copyright holders' groups and artists are planning protests during Midem against a French move last month to legalize online file sharing.
In a rebellion by lawmakers from the conservative ruling party, the French parliament approved amendments introducing a so-called "global license" - allowing Internet subscribers who pay an extra monthly fee to copy as much music as they like online. The government is seeking the amendments' withdrawal and is expected to announce compromise proposals in coming days.
Despite the music industry's gloomy sales and outlook, almost 9,500 participants from 92 countries are registered to take part in Midem, which runs through Thursday. That's a 7 percent increase from 2005.
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Post by quettalee on Jan 23, 2006 0:56:11 GMT -5
Williams, Shakira, Madonna Win in France Jan 22, 09:56 PM EST
CANNES, France (AP) -- Robbie Williams writhed, Shakira shouted and Madonna didn't show up, although all three won honors at one of France's biggest music awards shows.
Williams, voted best male international performer at the NRJ Music Awards on Saturday night, was uncharacteristically serious in his acceptance speech but put on a strong performance of his hit "Tripping."
Madonna scored the best female international artist award but didn't appear to accept it, disappointing the audience. At the 2004 show, Madonna accepted a career award from Britney Spears and thanked French fans for two decades of support.
Shakira shouted "I love France!" in accepting the award for best international song, "La Tortura." She charmed French rock veteran and aging sex symbol Johnny Hallyday, who praised her successful melange of "sex and rock 'n' roll."
Bob Geldof praised the French for their "good taste" in granting him an honorary award for his organization of the Live 8 concerts in July for fighting world poverty.
The show, organized by the NRJ radio station, grants awards for French and international stars.
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Post by quettalee on Jan 25, 2006 19:59:23 GMT -5
Motley Crue Gets Hollywood Star Jan 25, 07:28 PM EST
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- It was girls, girls, girls Wednesday when Motley Crue, the bad boys of '80s heavy-metal music, received the 2,301st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
"We're across the street from the Erotica Museum and Frederick's of Hollywood. This is a perfect place for us to be," bassist Nikki Sixx told an estimated 600 screaming fans.
Sixx joined drummer Tommy Lee, guitarist Mick Mars and singer Vince Neil at the ceremony in front of the Musician's Institute on Hollywood Boulevard.
Lee pretended to cry. "I think there's something in my eye," he said.
Motley Crue formed in Los Angeles in 1981, enduring a breakup, death and drugs to become one of the world's top touring groups, with 40 million albums sold.
Singles such as "Girls Girls Girls, "Smokin' in the Boys Room" and "Dr. Feelgood" about sex, booze and highjinks propelled the band to rock star status during the 1980s.
But tragedy followed, from singer Vince Neil's 1984 involvement in a car accident that killed Hanoi Rocks drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley to bassist Sixx's near-death from a heroin overdose in 1987.
Guitarist Mars suffers from a degenerative rheumatoid disease in his back.
Lee, once married to actress Heather Locklear, also gained attention for his on-again, off-again marriage to actress Pamela Anderson and their infamous sex tape.
In 1999, Motley Crue disbanded only to re-emerge last year with their double platinum hits collection "Red, White & Crue" and circus-themed Carnival of Sins tour.
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Post by marysgurl on Feb 2, 2006 9:31:32 GMT -5
Jennifer Garner, Scarlett Johansson and Teri Hatcher are among the actors who sing on a new album of lullabies and ballads called Unexpected Dreams: Songs From the Stars. Due March 28 and benefiting Music Matters, the Los Angeles Philharmonic's music-education program, the album also includes Ewan McGregor, Eric McCormack, Nia Vardalos, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lucy Lawless.
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Post by quettalee on Feb 2, 2006 14:49:28 GMT -5
that's waaaayyy cool baby... we gottta have!!
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Post by marysgurl on Feb 2, 2006 20:54:08 GMT -5
I couldn't find anything from it yet....but I didn't look too hard.
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Post by quettalee on Feb 17, 2006 15:31:32 GMT -5
Lisa Marie Presley Marries Guitarist Feb 17, 12:33 PM EST
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of rock 'n' roll king Elvis Presley, has married guitarist and music producer Michael Lockwood in a ceremony in Kyoto, Japan, her publicist said Thursday. Presley, 38, and Lockwood exchanged vows in a traditional Japanese ceremony on Jan. 22, spokesman Paul Bloch said.
It was Presley's fourth marriage. She was previously married to Nicolas Cage, Michael Jackson and Danny Keough, who is the father of her two children.
The bride's mother, actress Priscilla Presley, walked her daughter down the aisle and gave her away, Bloch said.
Daughter Riley Keough was maid of honor and son Benjamin Keough was a groomsman.
The best man was Presley's first husband Danny Keough.
Also attending the wedding were Lockwood's parents, Vivian and William Lockwood.
Lockwood was Presley's musical director and is listed as executive producer on her 2005 album "Now What."
Presley lives in the Los Angeles area but Bloch said he didn't know where the couple planned to live.
---
On the Net:
www.michaellockwood.com.
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Post by gams on Feb 24, 2006 13:19:30 GMT -5
This in from "the Gauntlet", my favorite metal site.
"After debuting at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart in September, DISTURBED’s latest release TEN THOUSAND FISTS (Reprise) has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. This marks the third consecutive album by one of music’s most commanding bands to reach the coveted platinum milestone, following their 2000 triple-platinum debut The Sickness and 2002’s Believe, which also debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart.
TEN THOUSAND FISTS has proven to be a full-on success for Disturbed, scoring with fans and music critics alike. Of the album, the San Francisco Chronicle proclaimed, “Picking up where Metallica left off as the dark savior of metal, Disturbed continues to blaze new ground.” The Los Angeles Times also weighed in stating that the album “sure to get the fists up and pumping.”
The first single off of TEN THOUSAND FISTS, “Stricken” hit #1 on the Active Rock radio chart, making it the band’s 7th consecutive single to reach #1 on this chart. DISTURBED’s latest single, “Just Stop” is making it’s way up the charts and is currently sitting in the Top 10 on the Active Rock chart and in the Top 20 on the Mainstream Rock chart."
It may be old news, (I'm not sure of the date), but yay for Disturbed.
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Post by fallenangel on Feb 25, 2006 12:13:13 GMT -5
Sherl Crow Has Surgery for Breast Cancer
Sheryl Crow underwent surgery for breast cancer earlier this week and the prognosis for a full recovery is excellent,her publicist reported Friday. The singer/songwriter had the surgery in Los Angeles on Wednesday and is recovering without complications,said Dave Tomberlin,her publicist. ''Her doctors think her pronosis is excellent ,"said Tomberlin. In a statement posted on her Web site,Crow said she would have to postpone a North American concert tour that was scheduled to begin in March. She said she hoped to reschedule the dates as soon as possible. "Approximately one in seven American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime and more than 2 million Americans are living with breast cancer today'', Crow said. ''I am joining the more than 200,000 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.'' Crow called the surgery ''minimally invasive'' and said she will be undergoing radiation treatment as a precaution . She said she benefited from early detection and urged other women to have themselves checked. top stories Yahoo.com
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Post by marysgurl on Feb 28, 2006 21:26:22 GMT -5
Thanks for posting ladies! So much real life going on these days, hard for me to keep up everywhere. I appreciate the support! Rock on!!
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Post by Quettalee on Mar 31, 2006 9:06:41 GMT -5
LaBelle: Fans Left Due to Cold Weather Mar 30, 08:45 PM EST DALLAS (AP) -- Patti LaBelle said Thursday that she told fans at a weekend concert in Florida that they could leave because it was too cold, not because of a poor performance. LaBelle struggled through the Saturday show in Riviera Beach, Fla., and told fans she would understand if they left early. She said Thursday on the Dallas-based Tom Joyner Morning Show that her onstage reference to her failing health was misinterpreted. "You know what I said to the audience: `I'm diabetic, I have a slight heart murmur, I'm 61 and I'm fierce and this wind isn't going to stop me,'" the R&B singer told Joyner on the nationally syndicated radio program, according to portions of a transcript. "I was the closing act and the audience was still loving Patti LaBelle," she said. "But I told the audience to go home. I didn't want the audience sitting out there." Temperatures fell into the low 50s at the Riviera Beach Jazz & Blues Festival. "They were wrapped up in blankets," LaBelle said of the crowd. "They couldn't clap." Many fans left the show during the singer's 45 minutes onstage after having waited hours through opening acts. LaBelle sang several gospel songs through the performance and faltered through "Lady Marmalade" and "On my Own" before leaving the stage. I loves me some Ms. Patti!!
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Post by Quettalee on Apr 8, 2006 13:25:43 GMT -5
NEW YORK -- Pearl Jam will be the musical guests when Lindsay Lohan hosts NBC's Saturday Night Live on April 15. It will be Lohan's third time hosting in two years and Pearl Jam's third stint as musical guest -- they last appeared in 1994. The Seattle rock band will perform songs from their self-titled album, slated for release on May 2.
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Post by ILB on Apr 29, 2006 16:59:14 GMT -5
Rolling Stones Guitarist Injured in Fiji By MIKE CORDER, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 41 minutes ago
SYDNEY, Australia - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was hospitalized for a mild concussion he suffered while vacationing in Fiji, reportedly after falling out of a palm tree.
Richards, 62, was injured earlier this week and flown to a New Zealand hospital for treatment, band spokeswoman Fran Curtis said in a statement Saturday.
"Following treatment locally and as a precautionary measure, he flew to a hospital accompanied by his wife, Patti, for observation," Curtis said.
The statement did not elaborate on Richards' condition or explain how he was injured.
But media reports in Australia and New Zealand said Richards hurt his head after falling out of a palm tree at an exclusive Fiji resort and remained hospitalized in Auckland.
A newspaper report Sunday said Richards was flown to Auckland's Ascot Hospital on Thursday after the accident. Hospital duty manager Steve Kirby would not comment on whether Richards was a patient there, citing the hospital's privacy policy.
The Fijilive.com news Web site reported that the accident was believed to have happened at Fiji's exclusive Wakaya Club resort.
Resort employee Salesi Finau told The Associated Press that Richards and his wife recently stayed at the resort for about a week but would not say when they left or comment on reports of Richards' accident.
The Rolling Stones played a concert in Wellington on April 18 as part of their "A Bigger Bang" world tour.
According to the band's Web site, the Stones' next scheduled concert is at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, followed by 34 more dates across Europe.
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Post by ILB on May 1, 2006 16:26:23 GMT -5
Keith Richards Falls on His Coconut by Joal Ryan
[/img][/center] At Fiji's pricey Wakaya Club, leisure activities include snorkeling, golf, even daydreaming. Resort guest Keith Richards reportedly pursued a higher-elevation pastime: coconut picking.
Richards was up a palm tree plucking coconuts on a Wakaya Club-owned island last Thursday when the notoriously hard-living Rolling Stones guitarist fell from his perch and injured his metaphorical coconut, reports said.
According to Australia's Melbourne Herald Sun, Richards did not act alone--bandmate Ron Wood was also plucking coconuts. And, in fact, the newspaper said coconut plucking is a "popular activity" at Wakaya Club and presumably not a hobby exclusive to those who belong to the greatest rock and roll band in the world.
Citing an unnamed newspaper, the Associated Press said a Jet Ski has also been implicated in doing harm to Richards, possibly some time after the palm tree got in its licks.
While the band has not confirmed the palm tree or Jet Ski stories, it has confirmed Richards was hurt--and hospitalized. (Wood apparently emerged from his downtime unscathed.)
"Earlier this week, [Richards] suffered a mild concussion while on holiday in Fiji," a spokesperson for the rocker and the band said in a statement Monday on the Stones' official Website.
The rep noted that "as a precautionary measure," the 62-year-old Stone was flown "to a hospital by his wife Patti for observation."
Reports pegged the hospital as Ascot Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, about the closest major landmass to Fiji. New Zealand's TV3 showed Richards' wife and crew taking bags and three guitars into the facility, observing that it looked "like the veteran rocker was in for a long stay." The same report, however, noted that Richards was walking around and "in pretty good condition."
The doctors at the Melbourne Herald Sun described Richards as having been "seriously injured" in what it said was a 5-meter--nearly 16 and a half feet--palm-tree plunge. But the paper also said the rock 'n' roll survivor "could be discharged early this week."
The Stones wrapped the latest leg of their tour Apr. 18 in Wellington, New Zealand. The still-rolling senior rockers are supposed to invade Europe for a series of shows beginning May 27.
In 1998, the Stones lost a handful of European concert dates when Richards had an earlier run-in with gravity, dinging his ribs in a fall from a ladder at his home library in Connecticut. At the time, Richards' rep made a point of noting that the rehab-familiar guitarist "had not been drinking" at the time of the tumble. [/color]
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Post by freebird1 on May 2, 2006 21:52:23 GMT -5
I think he needs a Dr. on hand at all times. Or a net to catch him when he falls.
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Post by Quettalee on May 7, 2006 22:21:51 GMT -5
We watched "40 Greatest Metal Songs" today; it was pretty cool.
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Post by ILB on May 22, 2006 17:44:49 GMT -5
Madonna crucifies herself in LA tour opener By Dean Goodman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Madonna launched her first world tour in two years on Sunday, delighting an enthusiastic Los Angeles crowd by hanging herself from a cross, insulting President George W. Bush, and dusting off some of the sexy moves that have sustained her career for more than 20 years.
The "Confessions" tour will keep her on the road for two months in North America, and then resume on July 30 in Wales for a five-week stadium swing through eight European cities. Shows in Japan are also on tap for mid-September.
The 47-year-old dance diva spent two hours churning out most of the tunes from her new album, "Confessions on a Dancefloor," as well as a few old hits such as "Like a Virgin," "Ray of Light" and "Lucky Star."
The audience at the Los Angeles Forum included Madonna's Kabbalah guru Rabbi Yehuda Berg, socialite Nicole Richie, and gay icon Rosie O'Donnell, who upgraded herself to a premium seat on the floor and left her spouse alone in the stands.
The meticulously choreographed Vegas-style routine began 50 minutes late when a giant mirror ball was lowered from the ceiling to the end of a catwalk stretching deep into the floor. Out popped Madonna, in S&M-styled riding gear and whip, singing the new tune "Future Lovers" as four bare-breasted male dancers writhed around with ball gags in their mouths.
MADONNA, HITLER & BUSH
Later on, she donned a crown of thorns and suspended herself from a giant mirrored cross to deliver the ballad "Live to Tell." Video screens showed images of third-world poverty and reeled off grim statistics.
During one of her half-dozen costume changes, another video montage juxtaposed images of Bush, members of his administration and British Prime Minister Tony Blair with footage of Adolf Hitler, Osama bin Laden, and Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe. Midway through the new song "I Love New York," she deviated from the script and made a crude reference to Bush and oral sex.
Beyond that, she barely spoke to the audience, largely focusing on keeping control of a busy nightclub-style stage that boasted 15 dancers, four musicians and three backing vocalists. For the most part, she joined in the tricky choreography, her voice evidently not affected by the aerobic workout. She did pause for a few songs during which she appeared to play a shiny Gibson Les Paul guitar.
A disco segment near the end, where she dressed in a "Saturday Night Fever"-style white suit to perform "Music" thrilled the crowd, as did the "Like a Virgin" routine, when she climbed aboard a carousel-style black leather saddle.
There was no encore, and the lights came up as soon as she had completed a medley of "Lucky Star" and latest hit single "Hung Up" while sporting an illuminated white cape with "Dancing Queen" embroidered on the back.
Billboard magazine has forecast ticket sales could reach the $200 million range, making it the most successful tour by a female artist. Cher holds the record with $192.5 million from 273 shows on a "farewell" world tour that began in June 2002 and lasted almost three years, according to Billboard.
Madonna, on the other hand, is scheduled to play fewer than 60 dates on this tour. Similarly, her $125 million-grossing Re-Invention tour in 2004 and the $75 million Drowned trek in 2001 were also relatively brief.
What catapults her to the top of the leagues is her ticket price, topping out at $380 (including Ticketmaster fees) in most U.S. venues. However, it did not stop her from adding dates to accommodate demand.
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Post by Quettalee on May 25, 2006 5:43:29 GMT -5
Joan Baez in Tree to Help Save Garden May 24, 08:06 AM EDT
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Folk singer Joan Baez and tree-sitter Julia "Butterfly" Hill have taken up residence in a tree to raise awareness about a 14-acre urban farm threatened with demolition.
Hill, who lived in a redwood in Northern California for more than two years to prevent loggers from cutting it down, said Tuesday that she, Baez and others will occupy the tree in shifts.
Two door-sized platforms have been placed in the tree for the sitters, and a support group has set up an encampment on the ground.
Hundreds of farmers could face evictions after The Trust for Public Land came up $10 million short in its bid to buy the site. The nonprofit group was not able to raise the $16.35 million required by the time the purchase option expired Monday.
The trust signed a contract in April with landowner Ralph Horowitz to buy 10 of the 14 acres in south Los Angeles where about 350 families, most of them working-class immigrants from Central America, tend small plots of fruits and vegetables.
Hill said she was protesting now because Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has pledged support for the farmers but has not come through yet.
Villaraigosa's spokesman did not immediately return a message left after business hours Tuesday.
Deputy Mayor Larry Frank has said the city was trying to help the farmers move to other sites, including an 8-acre plot which can accommodate 200 of them.
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Post by Quettalee on Jun 3, 2006 18:38:58 GMT -5
Keith Richards and Stones Set to Tour Jun 2, 12:57 PM EDT LONDON (AP) -- The Rolling Stones, assured that Keith Richards is fully recovered from a head injury, will kick off their rescheduled European tour in Milan, Italy, on July 11. The band is booked for 21 stadium appearances in 11 countries, it was announced Friday. Previously scheduled concerts in Nuremberg and Leipzig, Germany, have been canceled, and 10 other concerts on the tour, which had been set to open May 27 in Barcelona, Spain, have been postponed. Richards, 62, was injured in late April when he reportedly fell out of a palm tree while vacationing in Fiji. The tour announcement on the Stones' Web site said Richards had made a "complete recovery from his accident" and was ready to return to the concert stage. Richards, in a statement, apologized to fans. "Excuse me, I fell off of my perch! Sorry to disrupt everyone's plans but now - it's full steam ahead! Ouch!!" Ticket holders for rescheduled concerts should retain their tickets and await further information, the band's spokesman said.
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Post by quettalee on Jul 8, 2006 18:47:08 GMT -5
Fans Pushing Back Against File-Sharing Suits
Music fans from Texas to Dusseldorf are organizing in an attempt to push back against the music industry's lawsuits over online piracy.
The Electronic Freedom Foundation is reviving its efforts to ignite a lobbying movement among music fans and recording artists. In addition to updating its page on file sharing, the group is urging its blog readers to sign petitions asking governments on both sides of the Atlantic to do away with lawsuits against music fans.
"There are over 60 million people in the United States who use file sharing - more than the number of people who voted for our current President," EFF states. "If we all band together and stand up for our rights, we can change the law."
Derek Slater characterized the Recording Industry Association of America's campaign against peer-to-peer file sharing "irrational" and urged Americans and Britons to sign petitions to develop constructive alternatives so artists can earn money, while listeners share music.
The latest push appears to be a response to BPI's file-sharing lawsuit.
While an American petition urging Congress to end the music sharing lawsuits has gained 80,000 signatures through EFF's Web site, the newer British one on Flowerburger.com appears to have less than 200 signatures from people scattered across the globe. The site claims to support musicians and their earnings but opposes suing the fans for payment.
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