The Gathering Pictures

Jack Osbourne: “‘The Osbournes’ Discredited Who My Father Is”

The last time Ozzy Osbourne hit the screen, it was as the perpetual punchline on The Osbournes, the MTV series that lasted four seasons and made Ozzy and his family the finest and funniest televised counterpoint to the Waltons of all time. But now Ozzy’s son Jack is trying to repair the damage he thinks the show did to his father’s reputation by gathering some friends and executive producing his own Ozzy documentary. According to Jack, his father — a severe dyslexic — “refuses to do a book, so this is more like a talking book, a really thorough autobiography.” Filming began in January, and features interviews with all the principal members of Black Sabbath, the various incarnations of Ozzy’s solo band, family and friends. But the trick, Jack says, is getting them to be truthful. “The hard thing is getting people to be honest and not have it be a fluff piece, because that’s not what we’re trying to do,” he said. “I’m trying to paint a realistic picture of who my father is. I think The Osbournes, to a degree, tarnished the public’s perception of my dad as a bit of a senile, funny, bumbling guy. Yeah, my dad can be that guy, but it’s not him. I think that almost discredited who he is as an artist. My dad’s not an idiot — he’s nothing short of a genius, in my opinion. He does have huge flaws, and we’re trying to really paint an honest picture of that.” The film’s production schedule is open-ended, and Jack hopes to be able to preview segments at next year’s Ozzfest — in whichever incarnation Ozzfest appears. “Next year at Ozzfest we’re talking about doing a traveling museum,” he said. “It’s something we were talking about after the show, having a museum at the gig where fans can go in and look at old photos and old memorabilia, and at the end of it, it would have a five-minute clip of the doc just to start to get it out there. I think it’s very dependent on what other tours are going out next summer. I think because of the success of the Texas show, it’s almost like, ‘W

Published: 2008-08-25 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News

Phish Fans Hungry for Trey Anastasio’s Old Tone Present Guitarist With Ross Compressor

Photo courtesy of Tom Marshall Phish fans will do anything for their favorite band — anything. While eagerly awaiting the band’s upcoming return, a devoted crew lamented a subtle evolution in Trey Anastasio’s guitar tone from Phish’s mid-Nineties heyday to their breakup in 2004. A group of devoted “phans” posting on the Website PhantasyTour.com blamed the change on the loss of Anastasio’s trademark Ross compressor. A compressor is a guitar effects pedal that limits the highs and lows of the instrument’s sound to create a more evenly distributed tone. Phish’s intricate compositions benefited from the compressor’s ability to boost more quietly picked notes and increased sustain. Anastasio’s childhood friend and primary songwriting partner Tom Marshall stumbled across the discussion board and brought the matter to Anastasio himself. The guitarist lamented the disappearance of the compressor and said he would entertain the possibility of bringing it back — if he could only find it. The message-board community quickly responded, forming the “People for a Compressed Trey” group and gathering donations to purchase a new compressor for their beloved Big Red. Marshall presented Anastasio with his new toy yesterday, posting pictures and a thank-you note from the grateful guitarist. Phish will reunite this upcoming March for three sold-out shows at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia. As the Smoking Section reported today, earlier this morning, Live Nation released ticketing information for a June 18th visit to the Post-Gazette Pavilion in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania (though they have since pulled the link). This, coupled with the rampant speculation that Phish will headline two nights at this year’s Bonnaroo Music Festival and embark on a subsequent summer tour, means the Ross will be put to good use soon. Related Stories: • Photos: Phish Through the Years • Phish to Headline Bonnaroo 2009, Sources Say • Phish Reunite, Plan Virginia Concerts for March 2009

Published: 2009-01-07 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News

Phish to Headline Bonnaroo 2009, Sources Say

Photo: Getty Bonnaroo, the East Coast’s premiere multi-day, multi-stage gathering of the vibes (held in Manchester, Tennessee from June 11th to 14th) usually doesn’t release its lineup until early February — but RollingStone.com hears from reliable sources close to Phish that the band will top the bill for two nights, restoring the fest to its jam-friendly roots. It would be the fifth time frontman Trey Anastasio appears on the ‘Roo stage, having performed as a solo artist in 2002 and 2004, with bandmate Mike Gordon in 2006 and alongside Matisyahu in 2005. Phish announced their official reunion and first public gigs in four years (their March 6-9th Hampton, Virginia shows) in early October; reps for the band and the fest declined comment for this story. Also being buzzed about with some legitimacy: Bruce Springsteen as Sunday night’s closer. No pressure, but there is a deadline approaching for pre-sale tickets and VIP packages. As for Coachella, the fest reputed for reuniting many a dormant band (the Pixies in 2004, Rage Against the Machine in 2007), Blur is believed to be a frontrunner, though a show scheduled for London’s Hyde Park in July raises some doubt — would the Brits really forestall a comeback gig on their home turf for a U.S. one-off jaunt? We think it’s more likely Britney Spears would pull off a dance tent set, a la Madonna in 2006. (And wouldn’t you know it, Britney is off on Coachella Saturday, April 18th, between tour stops in Los Angeles and Anaheim.) Other artists currently looking at routing dates around the three-day party in the desert include Coachella vets Red Hot Chili Peppers as well as the Pretenders, the Killers, Keane and We Are Scientists. Related Stories: • Photos: Phish Through the Years • Phish Reunite, Plan Virginia Concerts for March 2009 • Bonnaroo News, Photos, Reports and More on RollingStone.com

Published: 2008-12-16 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Festivals, Bonnaroo, Coachella

Dave Grohl, Chris Cornell Pay Tribute to the Who at Kennedy Center

Photo: Getty Last night’s Kennedy Center Honors was easily the strangest in its 31-year history. In a first, Washington’s most glitzy event celebrated a legendary rock act. Along with musicians George Jones and Barbra Streisand, actor Morgan Freeman and choreographer Twyla Tharp, the event gave the honorable nod to the Who. And the crowd of 2,300 in the capitol’s Opera House reflected that odd mix. Dressed in formal black tie, Newt Gringrich, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Madeleine Albright, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Reps. Daniel Patrick Leahey and Patrick Kennedy streamed down the red carpet with Dave Grohl, Jack Black, Rob Thomas, and the Who’s Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, who earlier in the day made the traditional visit to the White House for a chat with President Bush. Is George W. a fan? “Let’s just say he appreciates them,” said a West Wing staffer. First, Denzel Washington presented a warm salute to Morgan Freeman, a longtime fan of the Mississippi Delta Blues. Onstage, a gathering of legendary blues musicians including Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Honeyboy Edwards and Pinetop Perkins arrived, each one shuffling onstage slower than the first. With Coco Taylor taking vocals, the band slipped into “Everything is Going to be Alright” with startlingly crisp, clear sound. Later, looking sagely and stoic, Freeman watched and mouthed the words to B.B. King playing “Let the Good Times Roll” as his wife dabbed her tears. Next up was Lilly Tomlin who celebrated legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp, who has created dances to music of Bob Dylan and Billy Joel and collaborated with David Byrne. Then there was Jack Black introducing the Who. “When I was 10, I fell in love with the Who,” he said. “I saw Tommy and was deeply moved. I wasn’t deaf, dumb or blind, but I wanted to be felt, seen, heard and healed. Seriously, I’m not going for laughs here … When I first heard them in 1979, it hit me like a torpedo in my third eye. It was a collection of ass-kic

Published: 2008-12-08 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Live Shows, The Who

EMI Finally Partners With YouTube, Nevada Passes Law Against Misleading Tribute Acts, And More

EMI Music, Google, and YouTube have signed a licensing deal allowing YouTubers “unprecedented” access to EMI’s wealth of audio and video material from artists as varied as David Bowie, Coldplay, and Lily Allen. EMI is the last major label to partner with YouTube. The hold-up seems to have been the development of content identification and filtering technologies on the part of YouTube; the fact that the deal has gone through implies that YouTube has finally worked out the kinks in these systems to EMI’s satisfaction. Let clips of household pets singing “The Jean Genie” emerge! Nevada has passed a law making it illegal for bands to call themselves tribute acts unless they boast at least one former member associated with the original band. Supreme Mary Wilson lobbied for the law after spending millions unsuccessfully suing other acts performing as the group. Today is the 40th anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (don’t forget to write your own review of the album here). A collection of academics will be honoring this day by gathering to discuss the albums social and cultural significance. The event, “A Day in the Life - Sgt Pepper at 40,” takes place in the University of Leeds on June 19th. Now that we’ve had time to process those excellent Rhino reissues of the first two Pretenders albums (Pretenders and Pretenders II,) it’s the perfect time for the label to give the same treatment to the band’s second and third albums (Learning to Crawl and Get Close). This latest batch of reissues come packed with the usual fun extras (like demos, live songs, and alternate versions) and will be released June 5th. [via Pitchfork]

Published: 2007-06-01 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Morning News Roundup

Music review of ‘Odd Blood' by Yeasayer

Yeasayer ODD BLOOD "Odd Blood," the second album from Brooklyn trio Yeasayer, might mark a watershed moment for indie-jam band crossovers. Borough mates such as TV on the Radio and Grizzly Bear have already infiltrated long-standing hippie gathering Bonnaroo, sharing the bill with the likes of Phish...

Published: 2010-02-02 Provider: Washington Post

LISTEN UP: OK, The Bird IS The Word, I Believe You

This live version of The Ramones covering "Surfin' Bird" is as ridiculous as it is legitimately hilarious; Bleedin' Out also tosses us some Sonic Youth, Pixies, The Stooges, and all the other music that makes me forget for a second that I'm the world's weakest human being. Why wouldn't I download a cover of Magic Numbers singing "Crazy In Love"? I love the Magic Numbers as much as I love Magic Bullets, and Harry Potter magic, and Magic The Gathering and-- whoops, should have quit typing. (Information Leafblower) Wouldn't you be a lot more surprised if Aesop Rock didn't have a song that referenced "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"? (My Old Kentucky Blog) I'm not sure if I'll ever get sick of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless; the song "Soon" really reminds me of Zooropa, only before Zooropa, and better, and with about thirty-five fewer Grammys earned. (Badminton Stamps) "Drop The Lime" -- name of a crazy, techno-ey indie band, or a Weird Al parody of "Walk The Line"? Also, am I only linking this so I can make that really terrific joke? My answer is, it's Friday. (Keytars and Violins)

Published: 2007-07-27 Provider: VH1

LISTEN UP: Scenestars

Throughout Marchy March and the Funky Month, we'll be bringing you mp3-rich Listen Up posts written by some of our favorite music bloggers from around the world wide Interwebs. Today, we have Rachel Hurley, who runs Scenestars, has a show on Breakthru Radio, and is an expert on the independent music scene in my hometown of Memphis. After the jump, what she thinks you should be listening do. If your first thought of what the 20th Annual International Folk Alliance Showcase might entail includes a gathering of folks that need a bath more than a record deal, you might rethink your point-of-view after hearing John Elliott of the LA-based band The Hereafter play an unbelievably entertaining set in a hotel room at 2AM during the conference. (Scenestars) If you dig Austin’s Oh No! Oh My! or Memphis’ Snowglobe, you might just like Tim Regan’s new project Antenna Shoes (Regan, who also played on the last Sparklehorse album, splits his time these days between the three bands. (The Ardent Sessions) Check Austin nightlife blog Famousish's picks for “unmissable” performances during this month’s SXSW extravaganza, including the infamous Lord T and Eloise. (Famousish) Speaking of SXSW - The Second Annual Six Degrees of Memphis Day Party and Official Showcase will be held on March 14th at Opal Divine’s Freehouse. Check out the latest “10 Degrees of Memphis” radio show to hear music from most of the participants, including Jump Back Jake, Giant Bear, Amy Lavere, Snowglobe, Blair Combest and The Third Man. (Breakthruradio.com) And finally, to really get you in the mood for what I like to call ‘Rock & Roll Spring Break,” check out this video from our favorite New Zealanders, The Flight of the Conchords dudes with a little film they made about SXSW. (Brooklyn Vegan)

Published: 2008-03-07 Provider: Best Week Ever Keywords: Entertainment

Demons: Richie Sambora Slips Into Rehab While No One Is Looking

Because we once swore on a stack of six-month-old glossies in the lobby of a shady direct-to-video production company in Simi Valley to exhaustively chronicle every celebrity detox attempt that crossed our desks--with no celebrity too paunchy, sunburned, or sloppy-seconded to escape our scrutiny--we pass along news of the latest in what will surely go down as a bounty year for rehabs: "Richie Sambora has entered an undisclosed treatment facility in Los Angeles," the rep said in a statement. "He asks that you respect he and his family's privacy at this time."The specific nature of Sambora's substance-abuse problem was not disclosed. For those of you who require a brush-up on your Samboran background, here are the essentials, which, coincidentally, just so happen to be the sum total of our knowledge on the subject: 1) Lead guitarist for seminal hair metal band Bon Jovi, recently featured on American Idol. 2) Was married to Heather Locklear. 3) Was diddling Locklear ex-BFF Denise Richards. (But isn't anymore, we think.) 4) Cleverly booked himself into rehab on a day where every piece of news-gathering equipment in the greater L.A. area is trained squarely on the only WeHo detainment facility that happens to come with full-time maid service and falls squarely within Why Cook?'s delivery area. Richie Sambora Enters Rehab [People]

Published: 2007-06-07 Provider: Defamer Keywords: demons, Denise Richards, Richie Sambora

Katherine Heigl Spares No Expense In Repurchasing Birthday-Boy Husband's Love [Celeb Milestones]

We can think of no better way to cap off a Wednesday than by relaying for you all the details surrounding Katherine Heigl's overcompensating 28th birthday party for the new husband she completely took for granted on a recent Late Show with David Letterman appearance. We now bring you directly to the PEOPLE EXCLUSIVE report, live from the Katherine Heigl's-husband-appreciating birthday scene. (All hors d'oeuvre descriptions must exclusively credit PEOPLE EXCLUSIVE.):The newlyweds started by gathering 10 close friends, including Heigl's pal T.R. Knight, for dinner in a private room at hotspot Katsuya Hollywood. There they noshed on Heigl's hand-picked menu of Kobe beef, rock shrimp, miso cod and spicy tuna on crispy rice. "It was really important to me to celebrate Josh in a fun and intimate way," Heigl, 29, told PEOPLE. "I just wanted tonight to be in an environment we both really love and we really love this place. This was the perfect combination of an intimate dinner with friends and a bigger thing at the bar where everyone can kick back and enjoy each other but it's mellow." Guests - including Kelley's band mates, Zach Braff, Haylie Duff, Brooke Burns, David Charvet, Kristin Cavallari, Shane West, Jonathan Schaech and Jamie-Lynn Sigler - mingled by the bar or danced, to a mix heavy on the '80s tunes. Heigl drank champagne (Kelley sipped on vodka cranberry cocktails) while she roamed the tables and welcomed all their friends. Later that night, spent from one too many Cape Cods, the birthday boy excused himself to the couple's newly shared bedroom. "I won't lie," Heigl added, "I went to all this trouble to celebrate Joshua in a fun and intimate way--I mean Kristin Cavallari and Jonathan Schaech were there! What's more fun and intimate than that?" The 27 Dresses star then stormed up the grand staircase of their Spanish Revival home for an intimate follow-up discussion, punctuated by the launching of several Votivo-brand luxury scented candles and expensive pieces of

Published: 2008-01-30 Provider: Defamer Keywords: Celeb Milestones, Josh Kelley, Katherine Heigl