Gotta start off this column where I left off last time. The apology I made ahead of time on behalf of we who are in the music industry for whatever antics Britney Spears was going to throw upon us that week in her performance on the MTV Awards show. As we all know now, it was a jaw dropper, and the pop singer has become a one-woman spokesperson for what not to do when your music fame and fortune come at you at a young age and there’s nobody around in your paid entourage who will risk their jobs to tell you that maybe, just maybe, you should slow down and take a look at your lifestyle.
With the release of the AMAZING “Heroin Diaries” last month by Nikki Sixx who literally came clean about his time living his life of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Maybe that should be a must-read for Ms. Spears. Or is it the ex Mrs. Federline? Whatever.
On the flipside, there is an AWESOME new band out there on the horizon called O'2L (pronounced O'Tool.) With their CD “Eat A Pickle” being released this month on Peak Records, this Allman-Brother’s inspired band is made up of members who came together while touring with the infamous Trans-Siberian Orchestra. With Kelly Keeling (Baton Rouge, Blue Murder) on Vocals, Al Pitrelli (Savatage, Alice Cooper, Megadeth) on guitars, Jane Mangini on piano and keys, and rounded out by John O’Reilly, Tommy Farese, and Chris Altenhoff, this band truly kicks ass with its original sound and cutting edge rock.
It’s a must-hear for anyone who likes a classical rock sound with some experimental thrown in by some of the music world’s best musicians who spent the summer holed up writing and recording before embarking out on their nationwide Trans-Siberian tour this fall and winter.
Check out their music at www.o2Lmusic.com or over at www.myspace.com/o2lmusic2.
Ozzy Osborne & Rob Zombie are invading the nation on tour as they tour November and December, concluding this hard rock assault December 22 at Madison Square Garden in NYC. The tour, which supports Ozzy’s release “Black Rain” on Epic and Rob Zombie’s long awaited first live album “Zombie-Live” on Geffen, is sure to set the road on fire with this red-hot-heavy-metal combo!
Bret Michaels has announced that he will in fact be starring in season two of his ratings-topping reality show “Rock of Love” early 2008. He thought he’d found his true rock and roll girlfriend in Jes, but the time they had to spend apart from the taping to airing finished kind of doused the flame in their sparked romance. Well gals, guess you’ll have to try again to win the heart of this Poison frontman who is still single and looking! VH-1 is only saying that it will air in early ’08, but keep checking back here to hear the very latest news and info about the show.
Speaking of Mr. Michaels, he just returned from a 10 day jaunt over to Iraq to entertain the troops with his solo band. The sort of good will rock and roller, word is that all the female troops got plenty of photos with this 20 year veteran and rock icon! Good going Bret!
Speaking of good will, Multi-platinum, Grammy nominated band 3 Doors Down will hold their 4th annual "The Better Life Foundation" Concert at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on December 1, 2007, in Biloxi, Mississippi. 3 Doors Down and Sara Evans will perform with more performers to be announced. This evening is sponsored in part by AIG/American General Life & Accident Insurance.
Guess it’s getting to be that “giving” time of year, and in rock and roll we have seen them give more and care more than even most politicians over the years! Celebrity rock super group SCRAP METAL has been announced to headline JUDE JAMS 2007, the upcoming benefit concert for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, on October 25, 2007. Jude Jams 2007 is an inaugural charity event sponsored by TrueJams Charities, Inc., a Louisiana based charity-utilizing music to bring comfort and help to Louisiana's children post-Katrina devastation, and NSU student fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon.
That’s it for this month. Have a rockin’ Thanksgiving; we’ll be wrapping up some great stuff for the next column.
You can send me your news at CAS11099@aol.com
