Okay, so hello and welcome to my new column, Rock Wrap Up… what will become, for you savvy (and face it, mostly not too savvy!) New York City gossip mongrels, the NY Post’s “Page Six,” All Access style!
First and foremost, the finale of “Rock of Love with Bret Michaels” will air September 23rd, and from what insiders say it will be an ending that will leave you gasping for air. Imagine if there’s a reunion of all those women in one room similar to they did on Lava of Love? Yeeshhh! Good luck with that one!
As you know by now, Van Halen is set to hit the road touring in late September, with David Lee Roth front and center. Always a band notorious for changes, previously in front men with Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone, Van Halen has, well I guess you can say, fired a Van Halen and hired a Van Halen.
Confused? Join the club! Seems Michael Anthony has been replaced by Eddie Van Halen’s sixteen year old son Wolfgang. I’m sure more will be revealed as the tour unfolds.
On the topic of confusion, Ozzie comes to mind. The Ozzman is touring this fall, October through January in fact, with Rob Zombie in tow. Should be amazing. Hey wait a minute, hot on the heels of the Van Halen switch up, do you think Ozzy is going to fire Zakk and hire his son Jack to play guitar? Hmmmm… Me thinketh not!
Speaking of change, I recently had the chance to sit down for a one-to-one talk with Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx regarding his book “Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star” out September 18th. Our fifth or sixth interview over the last 15 years or so, Nikki and I really got down to the nitty gritty in our conversation as Sixx revealed his weekly routing of AA and NA meetings, he attends about two or three a week, and has actually worked through his 12 steps with a sponsor. Well whoda thunk it? Good for him. He told me that the manager of a very well known female rock star called him and asked him if he would personally sponsor her through the program. Nikki told me he respectfully declined, citing that he holds true to the program’s motto of “men with the men” in AA. The times they are a changing for Mr. Sixx it seems!
Good Charlotte is playing three shows with Justin Timberlake in LA in mid September before heading off on their own tour for a week in Australia. Guess they had to get as far away as possible from old Justin after playing the shows with the ex Mr. Spears.
Speaking of mother of the year Britney, well, she opened the VMA’s a few days ago, and, er, even though this writer sits here typing prior to the event, I will say in anticipation, “DO YOU BELIEVE SHE DID THAT? WORE THAT? SAID THAT?” There - that should take care of anything this head-shaven, lollipop-sucking, magician-f*, well you know what I mean – does! Anything she does, wears, and says is taken care of by the collective music industry’s “OMG!”
Lynyrd Skynyrd was just inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Didn’t even know there was a Georgia Music Hall of Fame, but good for them! Just brought them up, however, because has anyone heard anything from Skynyrd super-fan Bo Bice? I interviewed Bo shortly after he came in runner up in American Idol a couple of seasons ago, and dang was he hot – vocally and physically! Whatever happened to his seemingly impending mega success??? Hey Bo, if you’re out there, give this sista a ring! Holla and let me and our AAM readers know what you’re up to!
One group that is bound for greatness is the newly signed super group SCRAP METAL. Brainchild of Mark Slaughter and Gunnar Nelson, this band of singers also includes Kelly Keagy, Eric Martin, and Matt Nelson. Can we say vocal prowess! Meow! Hear they just got signed on by the William Morris Agency, are recording their first CD as SCRAP METAL and are playing a few gigs in October. This is one to definitely keep an eye out for and an ear open to!
And, to close out my first Rock Wrap Up column, I have to end with this juicy tidbit. The one and only Tila Tequila of My Space fame, has a 10-episode series on MTV called “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila.” Starting October 9 at 10pm EST… Hey, maybe sister stations MTV and VH-1 should have married off Miss Tila with Mr. Bret Michaels in their respective “Love” shows and saved us all some misery!
