A Reunion and a Rebuttal, and a Possible breakup

A Reunion

The Police kicked off their reunion tour on May 28th at General Motors Place in Vancouver British Columbia before a sold out crowd of 20,000 people. This in response to a band that hasn't publicly played together in over twenty years. The show was opened by Fiction Plane a group led by Sting's son Joe Sumner.
The Police opened their show with "Message in a bottle" many fans in the audience stood up and sang along while some were feeling the nostalgia of the moment others weren't even born when the song was released.
Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland followed up with a six minute rendition of "Synchronicity" a track from their 1982 album by the same name.
The Police have scheduled a tour of 21 gigs in the US that include stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas,Seattle, New Orleans, and New York. Their stops in Canada include Montreal, Edmonton, and Toronto. They will also perform in South America, Europe, and finish up in Australia in early 2008. The Police are hoping to rival the Rolling Stones and U2 tours of late and join other bands that have had reunion tours such as The Eagles, Genesis, and the yet to reform Van Halen.

A Rebuttal

An unexpected critic of the show offered up his opinion of the first show. It was Stewart Copeland The Police's drummer said "the concert was unbelievably lame and the singer jumps like a petulant pansy" and the drummer is making "complete hash, and who knows what the guitarist is doing" said Copeland . The show started off rough for Copeland who tripped while walking on stage unintentionally striking a gong on his drum set. He didn't hear Sumners opening riff to "Message in a Bottle" and Sting didn't hear Copeland's drum intro. "We are half a bar out of sync with each other and Andy is in Idaho" said the drummer. They quickly recovered even though Sting got his footwork wrong as he leapt into the air to signal the end a shamble of the song "Synchronicity II." After the concert no fists flew backstage the three members of the band fell into each others arms laughing hysterically a different result from their heyday when fists flew.
Should the Police stay together for the tour they are scheduled to play and record a performance for MTV's "Unplugged" series. The series debuted in 1989 four years after the break up of the Police and Sting recorded a session as a solo artist in 1991. They will perform acoustically on July 13th at a yet to be named Miami Florida venue.

Music Notes

Prince will perform at the Macy's department store in Minneapolis on July 7th to celebrate the day his new fragrance 3121 debuts. The performance is expected to draw 1,400 fans and includes a ticket to a private show on the eighth floor of the building and one ticket to his performance that evening at the Target Center.
The cost of the package is $250 plus service fees and went on sale on Friday at Macy's in Minneapolis. Further details are posted on the purple one's website.

Johnny Borrell the front man of the english band Razorlight has recorded a solar powered song for the charity Friends of Earth. The track "Funeral Blues" that features the lead singer and a violinist highlights the solutions for climate change. The song was recorded at the Premises in Hoxton, London which is powered by 18 solar panels. The track is available on Britain's Radio 1 station and will be available for free download over the next two weeks.

The new disc by the White Stripes has been leaked by a Chicago radio station DJ Electra at Q101 and Jack White is really angry about it. The station played the disc in its entirety and was obviously instantly bootlegged placed on internet file sharing sites. Jack White called the radio station from Spain and scolded the dj and asked if she was sorry for what she had done. She wrote on her blog that someone had given a copy of the entire disc and they were excited about playing it. The whole experience was an hour long love fest for the White Stripes, and that Jack shouldn't be angry because it is believed to be a terrific disc.


Andrew Lloyd Webber wants to work with Eminem on a possible future collaboration. The composer admits that he doesn't know the rapper too well. But he has often spoken about his appreciation of the rap superstar and has even met with him, he says that Eminem is "very intelligent." Webber has written such hits as Cats, Phantom of the Opera, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.


There had been speculation that Gerard Way lead singer of My Chemical Romance had married because a ring appeared on his left hand recently. He said it was only a friendship ring but announced his engagement on June 1 during an interview on MTV 2.

George Michael has donated the piano that John Lennon used to compose "Imagine" to Virginia Tech University. A spokesman for Michael said that "Georges's deepest wish is to imagine a world with peace and without violence." Virginia Tech University is where a gunman killed 33 students in April. In other related George Michael news the singer cancelled a concert in Prague because of an accident involving two of the trucks that carried special sections of the stage. A large part of the stage podium remained trapped under a truck and it wasn't possible to replace it. No further details of the accident were given and it isn't known when the concert will be rescheduled.

Further Rehab

Bo Diddley was released from Creighton University Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska he returned to his Gainesville, Fl home by private jet. He was transported to Shands Rehab Hospital to begin further speech and occupational therapy. He will spend two weeks at the facility and will continue his therapy as an outpatient. Get well wishes from fans around the world poured in as well as messages from Chuck Berry, Elvis Costello and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.

Brittney Spears has posted an open letter on her website to her fans detailing her descent into madness back in February. She said that she had " truly hit rock bottom," and that she wasn't suffering from depression or alcohol but she was running around like a bad kid with ADD. She also stated that she "had a manager from a long time ago come in and try to direct me and my life after I got my divorce," referring to her on-off again manager Larry Rudolph. She went on to further state that she was overwhelmed and in shock from the divorce and admits that she was just "lost." She said that her life is both "crazy and surreal" and she is "truly blessed " thanks to her children and finished the letter saying " I just hope this letter made some of you think a little bit more of me and where I'm coming from."
At one time she was a somewhat bankable pop sta. However, her novelty quickly wore off and her music never really changed with the scene. Her first marriage of 55 hours to Jason A. Alexander and her second marriage to Kevin Federline a backup dancer who she had two children with. Then her descent into alcohol and late night parties and subsequent rehab proved that she is a former pop star looking for attention.

Legal Blotter

Five weeks into the Phil Spector trial the jury continues to hear the physical evidence of the night that Lana Clarkson died. The coroner Dr. Louis Pena testified that the barrel of the gun may have been forced into Lana Clarkson's mouth bruising her tongue before she was fatally shot. He stated that the bruise was "very unique and is consistent with blunt-force trauma." He also testified that there are bruises on Clarkson's right arm and wrist.
Clarkson had been experiencing chronic headaches had been prescribed two drugs that are generally taken for depression. He called her death a homicide and described her as a hopeful person with no history of depression or suicide attempts according to his research. Pena cited evidence that she hadn't been putting her affairs in order as some people do before a suicide. "She died with a purse on her shoulder in a strangers home, which isn't typical of someone taking their own life." Jurors were then shown graphic photos of the crime scene and the damage done to Clarkson's face, and inside of her mouth. One juror looked away and Clarkson's mother and sister were obviously not present for this part of the prosecution. The defense maintains that on Feb 3, 2003 Clarkson took her own life and Spector had nothing to do with it.


Rapper Young Jeezy( Jay Jenkins) was arrested at an Atlanta Ga strip club on Thursday. Jeezy was there with his sister and her friends when an altercation occurred around 3 am. Off duty police officers working security at the club called for backup from the county police and they responded. The officers reported that there wasn't any physical confrontation it was all verbal and confrontational because some of the group didn't want to leave. Jeezy was later booked on a disorderly conduct charge at the DeKalb county jail and released.

A possible breakup?

According to Liv Tyler her father Steven Tyler lead singer of the band Aerosmith is considering leaving. His reason is that the other members don't seem to appreciate him. However, it hasn't been confirmed that Tyler is actually leaving the band. He recently recovered from throat surgery to correct a popped blood vessel. He and his wife clothing designer Teresa Tyler of 18 years divorced in January of 2006 citing personal problems as the reason for the divorce.

My Corner

I'd like to end this entry on a happy and somewhat nostalgic tone. The Beatles album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" came out exactly forty years ago on June 1, 1967 Although, I wasn't alive when the original came out it has always been a favorite of mine. The record confused alot of people because of its psychedelic content and was considered high technology because it was stereophonic. It set a pattern for bands of the future to emulate and learn from and influenced not only pop music but all forms. If you have the opportunity I strongly advise you to listen to the original record from the beginning to the end and imagine what it must have sounded like for the first time in 1967.

Until next week

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!