Spice Girls Reunion ? Method Man Arrested, Paula falls straight down.

Reunions?

The reunion of the Spice Girls may not take place after all it was reported that they would get together for a concert with a venue to be yet announced around Christmas and be paid $2 million each. Melanie Chislholm formerly known as Sporty Spice has been rumored to oppose the idea because she wants to concentrate on her solo career. Mel C has four discs her most recently titled "This Time" and released a cover of the "Bow Wow Wow" song " I want candy" last month and is only available in the United KIngdom. Melanie C's solo career has been similar to such forgettable artists such as Robyn, Geri Halliwell (formerly Ginger Spice), and Natalie Imburlia ("Torn"). Early reviews indicate that she shows some promise on the new disc overall it is lacks substantial effort. Rejoining the group for only a short time might give her solo career a boost.

Portishead are planning to reunite and will play their first live show since 1997 at All Tomorrow's Parties a festival which celebrates music, art, and media. The event will take place in Minehead, England from Dec 7-9, 2007 and the group will curate " A Nightmare Before Christmas" display.
The band says that they have chosen different artists to work with and are looking forward too it. In February of this year the band made a surprise appearance at Mr. Wolf's a noodle in Bristol, England where they played an acoustic set previewing new material. The band was founded by Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow, Adrian Utley , classified as a "trip-hop" band where they use live jazz samples in order to maintain a lo-fi sound. The group are from Bristol and debuted in 1994 with "Dummy" and the single "Sour Times" they followed up with their second disc "Portishead" and the single "All Mine". They collaborated in 1999 with Tom Jones on his disc "Reload."


Simon and Garfunkel were recently honored by the Library of Congress and received the Gershwin Award which is given to outstanding American musical talents in the popular song genre. A concert was performed Wednesday with Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, Lady Black Mamzabo also performed with Simon their first collaborations since 1999. SImon said of Garfunkel " My dear friend and partner in arguments." before starting with their 1970 studio album " Bridge Over Troubled Water," and "Celia." James Taylor also made an appearance during the concert and sang "Still Crazy After All These Years," another hit by the pair of honorees. Stevie Wonder closed out the show with Simon the gospel group The Dixie Hummingbirds did a version of "Loves Me Like a Rock." The concert will be broadcast on PBS television starting
June 27th.

Music Notes

Lily Allen is going to do a duet with Deborah Harry of Blondie did a version of "Heart of Glass" on the Today Show on May 25th and Harry's group Blondie did "Call Me" and three of their own songs. Deborah Harry is to release a solo album on August 7th titled "Necessary Evil," if you'd like to hear an advanced track from the disc it is streaming on myspace.com/debbieharry.


American Idol's days maybe numbered the 30.7 million people who watched Jordin Sparks in this years season finale was a sharp drop from the 36.4 million who saw Taylor Hicks in last years finale. The factors that are contributing to the decline are a lackluster group of contestants and a general disinterest of viewers and the law's of TV gravity.


Amy Winehouse who's top ten single "Rehab" won best contemporary song Thursday at Britain's Ivor Novello Song writing Awards presented at the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
The awards are named after Ivor Novello who composed the popular songs "Keep the Home Fires Burning,"and "We'll Gather Lilacs." WInehouse thanked the crowd and said " I didn't even have time to get drunk-I've only been here 15 minutes." said Winehouse who is known for her high speed personality and has a reputation for smoking and drinking. She recently married boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil in Miami,Florida. She said it was sudden "but that's the way I am," and "I've married the best man in the world."

A new advertising campaign for the shoe company Doc Martens has been halted. The print ads depicted deceased rock legends Kurt Cobain, Joe Strummer, Joey Ramone, and Sid Vicious wearing the Airwair line while sitting on a cloud wearing all white except the black boots.
The tag line in the corner reads "Dr. Martens Forever." The image of Kurt Cobain without the approval oby Cobain's widow Courtney Love. Her publicists filed to put a stop to the depiction of her late husband and Dr. Marten's not wanting to face a public relations embarrassment put an stop to the ads and apologized. "Dr. Martens is very sorry for any offense that has been caused but the public images showing dead rock star icons wearing Dr. Marten boots" according to a company press release. The advertising agency that created the images wanted to communicate to the consumer that Dr. Martens were made to last and the images were legally purchased from Corbis a worldwide stock photo company.


Noel Gallagher of Oasis has made up with the Scissor Sisters and lead singer Ana Matronic. He reportedly called the band's music "music for squares."
During a backstage meeting at the Brit Awards Matronic said " We share the same security company, so when I heard they were hanging around backstage I marched straight up to Noel and pinched him on the cheek. and gave him a big hug. If someone says something bad about the Scissor Sisters I don't engage them in an argument but try to kill them with kindness and make them love me." Noel referred to Matronic as a "top bird" to a mutual friend and he was very nice as was Liam. Maybe the Gallagher brothers have finally softened up after all these years or else they have been misquoted as they had been in the past.


Ozzy Osbourne was awarded the first star in Birmingham, England's new walk of fame on Broad street outside of the city's National Indoor Arena where he is to perform on July 6th. He previously received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2002. He commented that having a star in his hometown made him happy " I have a star in Hollywood on their Walk of Fame but having a star in my hometown means so much more to me. A personal thank you goes out to Lord Mayor Randal Brew." Future stars are to be given to actors,comedians, and musicians who come from Birmingham and the public are asked to get involved and vote for the stars they'd like to see honored.

An Iggy Pop inspired children's garden has won a silver medal at the Chelsea Flower show. The Lust for Life Garden features an arc of water that moves rhythmically to the beat of "Lust for Life" the song that he is best known for. Iggy said " It's awesome the Lust For Life Garden won a silver medal. It's great to know my music reaches so many people and inspires, I'm honored the Children Society's garden is inspired by my music and I wholeheartedly support the work they do-they rock." According to the the London Daily Mirror the garden will later be dismantled and rebuilt within one of the the charities project for disadvantaged children.

Legal Woes

Method Man(b. Clifford Smith) of the Wu-Tang Clan was arrested last week in Brooklyn, NY after a police officer noticed the registration of his 2005 Lincoln Navigator had expired. The officer also claims to smell marijuana smoke coming from the vehicle once it was stopped. Upon further investigation the officer found two blunts and other drug paraphernalia. The New York Post reported that Method had 28 grams of the drug in his possession before being taken into custody. He was charged with unlawful and criminal possession and driving uninspected vehicle.

Injured list

Paula Abdul fell while trying to avoid stepping on one of her Chihuahuas breaking her nose and fracturing her toe. She was slightly bruised but wasn't hospitalized for her injuries and the dog was unharmed. She was able to make it to Wednesday's American Idol Finale. Abdul has suffered a variety of unusual injuries, in 2004 she contracted a fungal infection while getting a manicure at a salon and had to have her right thumbnail removed. In 2005 she revealed that she suffers from a rare neurological disorder called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRP) that causes chronic pain, and in April 2006 she filed a police report claiming she suffered back injuries and a concussion when she was thrown into a wall at a club by a fellow partygoer.

Bo Diddley who suffered a stroke on May 19th during a performance in Council Bluffs, Iowa is out of intensive care Monday and walking around at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha Nebraska. He is awaiting his lead doctor's permission to go back to his home in Gainesville, Florida whether he will be transferred by medivac or private jet remains to be determined. The stroke affected the left side of Diddley's brain and he has trouble with speaking and recognizing words but is slowly improving and has little or no physical limitations. He has had a history of diabetes and hypertension factors that contributed to the stroke.

That is all I can write for this week I still have alot more to report but will save it for next week until then

GETOUTOFMYHEAD !

Reformations, Bannings, Courtney Love's garage sale,

Reformations

The Spice Girls are considering reuniting and have been offered $2 million each to play a show this Christmas. Melanie B, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckaham, met to discuss the plan last Wednesday evening. They were at the Cirprani Restaurant to celebrate David Beckham's thirty second birthday who is the husband of Victoria Beckham. The only holdout was Mel C who was against a reunion but is considering it after meeting up with the other girls later in the week.
The strangle hold that they seemed to have on the music scene in 1997 puzzled alot of people maybe it was because the grunge revolution died a few years earlier and britpop was at its peak and fans were looking for something new and fresh.Their influence spawned copycat groups like "All Saints","Girls Aloud", and the current incarnation "The Pussycat Dolls" all follow the same formula of five beautiful girls who sing about love, life, and girl power. I don't see a reason for the "Spice Girls" to reunite other than it will be a financial windfall for them as their solo careers have been less than successful.

A group who shared the charts with the Spice Girls ten years ago was Blur. Their "Blur" contained the hit "Song 2" an homage to the grunge sound of American bands They will reunite in the studio this summer with founding member Graham Coxon and Alex James. It will be the band's first disc since 2003's "Think Tank" a disc where Coxon quit during those sessions to begin a somewhat successful solo career. Although, there were alot of hard feelings when Coxon quit but apparently they are all back on speaking terms. Coxon said " If things don't go well in the studio they're all quite happy to walk away, safe in the knowledge they gave it their best shot." Alex James is quoted as saying " We're all going to head into the studio together this summer, Graham's coming too. We're going to see if we've still got it ."

Crowded House are to reform and release an album their first since 1996's " Farewell to the World." They called it quits after the release of that album and did their final performance on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney Australia on Nov. 26, 1996 where the proceeds went to the Sydney Children's Hospital.
The album will be called "Time on Earth" and be available on July 10th . They are to perform their first set of shows at the The Live Earth Festival in Australia which will feature the reformed band minus longtime drummer Paul Hester who committed suicide due to his struggle with depression in November of 2005. Hester's replacement is Matt Sheroud who has played drums for Beck.

The Police are set to play their first show in twenty five years in Vancouver B.C. They will play a fan only show on May 27th where members of the fan club can use tickets purchased online. They will then play a public show for ticket holders on May 28th. They have reunited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the bands formation and will tour North America and Canada this summer.

Banned From Walter Reed

Joan Baez the folk singer and anti-war activist has been banned from performing for recovering soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital. Although she had permission to do so as far back as March.
No reason as to why she wasn't allowed to perform for the soldiers other than "she didn't fit in here" Baez's replied " I have always been an advocate for nonviolence and I have stood as firmly against the Iraq war as I did the Vietnam war 40 years ago, I realize now that I might have contributed to a better welcome home for those soldiers fresh from Vietnam. Maybe that's why I didn't hesitate to accept the invitation to sing for those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan."
A spokesman for the Army Steve Sanderson sent an email to Rolling Stone. Com stated " These additional requirements were not in the agreement/contract and would have required modification." John Mellencamp said " They didn't give me a reason why she couldn't come. We asked and they sad, "She can't come here period." Whatever the reason or reasons this author believes that in light of the recent deplorable conditions discovered at Walter Reed they should be looking for an opportunity for positive publicity instead of fostering the negative.

Courtney's Garage Sale

Courtney Love the widow of Kurt Cobain has announced that she will sell several items belonging to the former lead singer who committed suicide on April 5,1994. She plans to have an auction and give the proceeds to charity and has said " I am going to let my daughter have a sweater, a guitar, and the lyrics to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and the rest well just sell." "My daughter doesn't need to inherit a giant bag of flannel shirts" and " I still wear his (Kurt's) pajamas to bed how am I ever going to form another relationship in my lifetime wearing his pajamas." Love sold her share of the rights to the Nirvana catalog in March of 2006 and plans to release an album titled "Nobody's Daughter" a date has yet to be determined for the release.

Prince to play several shows in London

Prince will play 21 shows in London starting in August at the O2 arena. The ticket price will be £31.21($61.21 ) a reference to his last album 3121. Those who buy tickets for the performance will receive a yet untitled studio album from the purple one. Prince said " The last time I was here not alot of people saw me so we are trying to make it affordable." He has a large fanbase in the UK and is doing an extended stay in London similar to the shows he recently did in Las Vegas.

Tori "Lloyd Webber" Amos ?

Tori Amos the piano humping princess is writing a musical and will debut in New York's West End and Broadway. "I think I am writing a musical, I'm gushing but under lock and key" she said. " I'm trying to be Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. I'm trying to be both of them. I'm busy , this is such a big project-a double record 23 songs and teh extras."
She recently released her new album American Doll Posse where she uses different personas on the disc to tell a story so a musical shouldn't be hard for her.

Bad news for Phil Spector

The ongoing trial of Phil Spector who is suspected of killing Lana Clarkson in his Beverly Hills home on February 3, 2003. Spectors and his defense have claimed for the past four years that she killed herself. However, this week four women who knew Spector testified against him further incriminating his fondness for guns and his threat to women. The first Melissa Grosvenor testifed that during their relationship , he walked up, held a gun to my face between my eyes and said "If you try to leave I'm going to kill you." she claims this happened in New York in 1991 when she was a waitress and found him a charming and quick witteed they dated for a year and a half. Grosvenor acknowledged she has been convicted of embezzlement in Georgia and later lied on an employment application when she asked about her criminal history.

Stephanie Jennings testified that she and Spector developed a long distance relationship in 1994. Jennings a music industry photographer testified that he threatened her with a gun and held her hostage.
She described being at a party where Spector became extremely drunk and obnoxious. She returned to her hotel room without him and slept until a knock by a bodyguard who said that Spector wanted her in his room. When she refused he showed up drunk and during an argument he slapped and pushed her causing her to fall on the toilet and she grabbed Spector who fell into the bathtub. He left after the confortation and returned with a gun and placing a chair in front of the door and said "I wasn't going anywhere." Cross examination of Jennings revelead that she had dated Spector off and on until 2004 so she apparently wasn't afraid of him as it would seem.
If Spector's history with guns, violence, and women are true and he is guilty of killing Lana Clarkson the 67 year old former producer is facing 15 years in prison.

The Killers hold off on their third album

The Killers are saying that their third disc will be awhile. In an interview with Billboard guitarist Dave Keuning said that they won't start recording until mid 2008. They have started rehearsing new ideas for the third disc.
The Killers released their first disc "Hot Fuss' in 2004 and followed up wit "Sam's Town" in 2006.

My Chemical Romance and Muse in death threat scandal

My Chemical Romance and the british band Muse are canceling tour dates after members of their crew became violently ill after a gig in Virgina on April 29th. They apparently contracted salmonella from the Green Leaf Cafe in Williamsburg Va. The owner of the resturaunt claims he has been receiving death threats from fans who blame him for the incident. The poisionings are being investigated by Virgina health officials.

Wilco releases new album

The Chicago based band Wilco will release their new disc on May 15, 2007 titled "Sky Blue Sky." I have personally heard some of the tracks and it sounds like they are going back to a more basic sound which is different than their two previous discs 2000's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and 2004's " A Ghost is born." They changed peoples perception of what Jeff Tweedy a former member of Uncle Tupelo who were known for their "alt.country " sound could do with his talent. I'm certain it will be a good one so download or buy it tomorrow.
Thanks


On a personal note; our pet cat named "Lilith" passed away. She was a stray that we found she had lived with me and my brother for seven years and then stayed with my brother when he bought a house in 2002. Lilith was at least ten years old if not older her "pet" name was "Boo Cat " because she looked like the pictures of cats we used to see on bulletin boards in school during Halloween. She was all black and very affectionate and never complained .
So I have to say may you be able to frolic in the sunshine forever and may there always be a plentiful supply of Fancy Feast wherever you are. You were a wonderful friend and won't be forgotten.

Until next week GETOUTOFMYHEAD!