May 31, 2004
BOBBY STRATOSPHERE @ MARTYRS'
FRIDAY JUNE 4'TH @ MARTYRS'
W/ THE HANDCUFFS AND THE FUZZ, $7 - 10pm
3855 N. Lincoln Ave · Chicago, IL · 773.404.9494
Oldman Joins Sandler For "The Longest Yard" Re-make?
Gary Oldman is in talks to join the remake of THE LONGEST YARD, starring Adam Sandler and Chris Rock.
Sandler will take the role originally held by Burt Reynolds, that of former football player-cum-convict Paul Crewe that challenges prison guards to a football game. Oldman would play the warden.
Peter Segal will direct from a script by Sheldon Turner. Sandler is producing with Happy Madison partner Jack Giarraputo, Van Toffler, and David Gale. Michael Ewing is executive producing.
How in the hell do you make Adam Sandler an action hero without resorting to something like the failed "Bulletproof". Well Director Peter Segal whose handling the remake of the prison football drama "The Longest Yard" starring Sandler spoke about the challenge with About.Com and revealed some unexpected new information:
"[This has] much more action and drama than I've done, but still has comedy to it...Obviously remakes are not new. I felt much better about it when I realized it was 1974, 30 years ago. And again, that’s why ironically there are 30-year-old people who have never heard of it. I certainly wouldn’t want to make a movie that was done in the late ‘80s....It’s a choice one makes but I certainly think you’re in safer territory the further away you are from the original".
Sandler is now in busy preparation for the part - "He’s currently working out with Sean Salsbury, a 14-year NFL veteran quarterback. He’s training with him. We actually have a pretty intense basketball sequence in the movie. He’s working on that. And we’re writing into the story that he’s six years out of the pros, so a little rustiness is actually good for the character, but he is working on his skills right now very seriously".
MOTÖRHEAD's LEMMY: On doing acid, his collection of Nazi memorabilia and why he dislikes the English
Blabbermouth had the scoop!
MOTÖRHEAD legend Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister has spoken to the U.K.'s Guardian about a variety of topics, including his collection of Nazi memorabilia, his drug use and his past and current relationships. What follows are some of the highlights of that interview:
On his collection of Nazi memorabilia:
Lemmy: "It's full of Nazi memorabilia, which horrifies Americans no end. I've had people come in there and say, 'Oh, I can't go in, I'm half-Jewish.' And I say, well, my black girlfriend doesn't have any problems with it, so I don't see why you should."
On why he dislikes the English:
Lemmy: "I've always liked America because it's ... eager. Whereas the British are resentful. They still haven't gotten over losing India. The British get on my tits all the time."
On doing drugs:
Lemmy: "[Acid] gives you a new angle on things. Several new angles. I wouldn't undo having done it.
"It made me more analytical. It made me more tolerant. And it made me realize that anything is possible. Anything. It's all random, everything is random. We like to put our patterns on things, but nature never wrote a straight line. Where are the Romans now and their fabulous buildings? Wrecks overgrown by nature.
"I've only ever had one bad trip, which was given to me by this asshole. But you get out of it. You drink orange juice like it's going out of fashion. I saw people as animals once, I saw 'em as rats and dogs. Big rings round your eyes. Whatever you do, don't look in the mirror. All the flesh melts off your face. And you are sick forever. But I took another one the next day, you know, just to get on the horse."
Read Lemmy's entire interview with the Guardian at www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/story/0,11710,1228373,00.html
May 29, 2004
PRONG Equipment Stolen, Band Carry On With Tour
photo by Dan Locke for MK Magazine
PRONG have reportedly had some of their gear stolen in Dallas, Texas Thursday night (May 27). The band, who are in the middle of their U.S. tour, are continuing to play all their previously scheduled shows while hoping to recover some of the stolen equipment. According to a friend of the group, James Francis of the band RIVERRED, among the stolen items were all the guitars, possibly some of the basses, a kick drum and a floor tom. More details, including pictures of some of the stolen gear, can be found at www.abrasiverock.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4044
May 28, 2004
FAST FOOD, TROMA & "POULTRYGEIST"
Troma has announced its latest production, "Poultrygeist," a fast food industry bashing horror-comedy-musical featuring zombie chickens!
When the American Chicken Bunker, a military-themed fried-chicken chain, builds a restaurant on the site of an ancient Indian burial ground, local protestors aren't the only ones crying fowl! The previous tenants, fueled by a supernatural force, take "possession" of the food and those who eat it, and the survivors discover that they must band together before they themselves become the other white meat!
Troma is currently looking for F/X people and song writers, so if you can pen a good tune or raise chickens from the dead, or if you're just interested in what Troma's up to, go ahead and visit their website www.troma.com/poultrygeist/
Larry Flynt's New Book Out July 4th
DO YOU KNOW WHO:
• Saved the presidency of Bill Clinton?
• Expanded the parameters of free speech in the US?
• Sued the Department of Defense to allow journalists in Afghanistan?
• Prevented the publication of compromising photos of Jessica Lynch?
• Was voted best guest speaker in 2002 on college campuses on
First Amendment issues?
The answer is LARRY FLYNT, and his new book, SEX, LIES & POLITICS: The
Naked Truth. (COMING OUT ON JULY 4th – INDEPENDENCE DAY!)
Flynt exposes the biggest political con artist since Senator Joseph McCarthy led the
Red Scare of the early 1950s.
According to Flynt, for more than thirty years the American people have been had,
hoodwinked, blindsided, bamboozled, and the polite, mainstream media won't come
out and say it. The Democrats can't come out and say it, because the truth is too
unsettling. But Larry Flynt will say it. In Sex, Lies and Politics, the Naked Truth,
Larry Flynt lays bare the vast right wing conspiracy that brought George W. Bush,
Dick Cheney, and John Ashcroft to power.
The man who had the guts to run the $1 MILLION ad in the Washington Post that
turned Washington and the entire country upside down, now has the guts to
connect all the dots and demonstrate just how completely American democracy has
been kidnapped by what John Kerry described (in a whispered aside) as "a bunch of
lying crooks." Finally someone carefully explains what's really going on, in a way
the American public can understand.
Sex, Lies & Politics: The Naked Truth, offers a serious and well-documented
argument, yet in the passionate and outraged tones of a man who loves his country,
and believes that hypocrisy, “the biggest threat to the American people,” is taking
over and must be stopped.
We’ve all heard bits and pieces and hushed information about . . .the election in
Florida . . . Dick Cheney's 'just us pals' energy commission....tax breaks for the
wealthy . . . the deficits.....how Bush sidetracked the fight against Al Qaeda for a
grudge match against Iraq . . . how he lied about weapons of mass destruction how
he lied about the true costs of all of the above.....about going AWOL from the Texas
Air National Guard how Bush genuinely believes he is somehow an instrument of
God's will....
With Sex, Lies & Politics: The Naked Truth, Larry Flynt makes sense of what we’ve
heard in scattered bits and pieces. He delivers the inside scoop on the unsettling,
hidden details that few people know, and shows readers why he is privy to certain
information others will never get.
In his book, Larry Flynt sets out to prove that our current administration is not just
politics as usual. This is something so extreme that we need to lean out our
windows and start screaming "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"
Next to his disdain for hypocrisy is Flynt’s disdain for apathy, and with Sex, Lies &
Politics, he hopes to wake Americans up!
Flynt details how this regime is fundamentally and constitutionally corrupt, a
"front organization" for the most reactionary forces in corporate America,
in cahoots with radical fundamentalists obsessed with controlling every
aspect of American life. He shows how the wealthy of this country have declared
war on anyone making less than $200,000 a year, and how they've used religion to
get millions of ordinary Americans to sign on, against their own self-interest.
Flynt provides an incisive review of recent history to show how this unsettling state
of affairs is the direct result of a thirty-year battle over American hearts and minds.
Flynt shows how today's perversion of democracy began with Spiro T. Agnew, was
nourished with massive infusions of right wing money in the Seventies, flowered
under Reagan in the Eighties, and became militantly subversive under Newt Gingrich
in the Clinton Nineties. Flynt makes it clear why we can't understand the Florida
election of 2000 without knowing about the "October Surprise" that helped Reagan
win in 1980. We can't make sense of George W. Bush’s character unless we
understand the character of his family, and the nature of his relationship with his
father. In order for us to understand his actions in Iraq, and inaction against the
House of Bin Laden, we need to know his own family's long business dealings in the
Middle East.
“Fasten your seat belts—this is the book that official Washington doesn’t want you
to read.” – Cody Shearer, syndicated columnist.
May 26, 2004
Lawsuit Claiming CIA Made MK ULTRA Victim Of Vet Via LSD
The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A former deputy U.S. marshal and Marine Corps veteran who claims the CIA slipped LSD into his drink in 1957 as part of a mind-control project offered enough evidence to send his $12 million lawsuit to trial, a federal judge ruled Monday.
Chief U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel ruled in favor of Wayne Ritchie, citing an apparent admission from a former CIA operative.
"I drugged guys involved in about 10, 12 (instances)," former federal narcotics agent Ira Feldman, who worked for the CIA's Project MKULTRA, told Ritchie's lawyer in a sworn deposition in February 2003. "I didn't do any follow-up. ... You just back away and let them worry like this nitwit, Ritchie."
Ritchie, 75, believes he may have been a guinea pig for the CIA's MKULTRA project, in which LSD and other drugs were given to hundreds of unsuspecting Americans during the Cold War.
Ritchie believes his drinks at a 1957 office Christmas party attended by a federal agent involved in the project were spiked.
The government denies drugging Ritchie and accuse him of concocting the theory to cash in on publicity about MKULTRA, the subject of congressional hearings in the 1970s and a 1997 movie.
SKINNY PUPPY The Greater Wrong of the Right ON SALE NOW
Finally the day we've all waited for. Skinny Puppy's first release in nearly a decade came out yesterday. We're anxious to learn of the first week sales totals. You buy a copy here in our online store at the MK discount.
What follows is the official MK Magazine review that will appear in the issue coming out in early June
Skinny Puppy
The Greater Wrong of the Right
SPV
It’s hardly worth mentioning that electronic/industrial music fans the world over have nothing but disdain in their hearts for the day that Skinny Puppy first went away. It’s also hardly worth mentioning that The Greater Wrong of the Right has GOT to be the most highly anticipated album of the year. Well, the most anticipated album for those mislaid souls who have floundered for 8 miserable years in a sea of second-rate industrial records that seem to assure us that they are the “next thing” but seldom if ever deliver. In all actuality it’s difficult to understand just how the hell this genre has even sustained itself as long as it has without a flagship. So, where does one begin to describe a new Puppy record? What gives me or anyone else the right to judge the latest output of the seminal Skinny Puppy? Who even has the ability to absorb all that Puppy has to offer? I can’t answer any of that; just know that your flagship is back. The dark brooding beacon that is Skinny Puppy has finally returned to show the world just exactly how electronic/industrial music is supposed to be.
The Greater Wrong of the Right is 48 minutes of SP’s strengths and none of its weaknesses. cEvin Key and Ogre have allowed Mark Walk to step into the late Dwayne Goettels’ position, so it should come as no surprise that a couple of these tracks, most notably I’mmortal and Pro-test, sound somewhat in the vein of the ohGr project. Around track 4 the album takes a turn and spins irretrievably down into the atypical world of Skinny Puppy. Neuwerld, Ghostman, d0wnsizer and Goneja all harbor the nuances that have made SP the toughest act in the genre to follow. For the DJs we have track 7, Past Present, the token dance number that clocks in at nearly 7 minutes. Slap this baby on and watch the lil’ gothies stomp and swirl about. There is not one dire moment on this album, which is to say that it is Puppy’s most user-friendly release, even more so than The Process. This new direction may put off some older fans of the noisier days but if I were to pick on any one thing it would be the cold digital feel of the production. Dave Ogilvie was not at the helm this time around and the analog warmth of previous Puppy records is markedly absent; but otherwise…
In closing I’d like to mention that this material in the hands of a lesser band would simply be unlistenable. Skinny Puppy has and always will be a musical anomaly that should never be copied. To be influenced by them is one thing but to attempt emulating them is outright silly. You can’t win. The battle is lost before it begins. Skinny Puppy wrote the book on this stuff and The Greater Wrong of the Right is the latest entry in a trip I hope will never end. - C. Curry MK Magazine
The tour begins in 2 weeks with 2-SOLD OUT stops in Chicago.
June 11, 2004 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
June 12, 2004 Seattle, WA Showbox
June 15, 2004 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
June 16, 2004 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
June 17, 2004 Detroit, MI Majestic Theatre
June 19, 2004 Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom
June 20, 2004 New York, NY Irving Plaza
June 21, 2004 New York, NY Irving Plaza
June 22, 2004 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
June 23, 2004 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
June 25, 2004 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
June 26, 2004 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
June 27, 2004 Houston, TX Club V
June 29, 2004 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
July 1, 2004 San Francisco, CA Grand Ballroom
July 2, 2004 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre
July 3, 2004 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre
July 4, 2004 Anaheim, CA The Grove of Anaheim
July 11, 2004 Paris, FR La Locomotive
July 13, 2004 Amsterdam, NL Paradiso
July 15, 2004 Sweden Arvika Festival
July 17, 2004 Germany Zillo Festival
July 18, 2004 Belgium Dour Festival
July 19, 2004 London, UK The Forum
"Gauge Unchained" Movie a Sell-Out
The Metro release of "Gauge Unchained" sold out on the first day of it's release. Metro sold every copy. That's unheard of. Insiders and fans alike know of the controversy that has been well publicized between Gauge and Metro with whom she signed a contract with late last year. This is her first release for the studio. Lets hope she gets a piece-of-the-action.
Either way congratulations goes out to Gauge and the folks at Metro.
We will feature Gauge in the late summer 2004 issue of MK Magazine if all goes as planned. AZ and Greg Miner interviewed the tiny and all natural starlett in Las Vegas at the AVN AEE. See photos in our photo gallery.
Gauge hosts a Ksex online radio show, Distorted Reality, on Fridays at 5pm. pacific time 7 PM central
Her official websites are: xxxgauge.com and ilovegauge.com
May 25, 2004
Meet those crazy 'Fockers'
The Byrneses and the Fockers, clockwise from lower left: Teri Polo, Blythe Danner, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller and Barbra Streisand
By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY
Barbra Streisand does spit takes, and Dustin Hoffman eats from other people's plates in Meet the Fockers, the sequel to the 2000 hit Meet the Parents, due in theaters Dec. 22.
Director Jay Roach, for an exclusive first look at the film, compares Streisand and Hoffman's comic timing to that of another legendary twosome: Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.
Streisand and Hoffman play the Fockers (pronounced Fawkers), the parents of male nurse Greg Focker (Ben Stiller), who is engaged to Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo). In this film, the free-spirited Fockers meet the uptight Jack and Dinah Byrnes, played again by Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner.
"Dustin and Barbra should have been a comedy team," says Roach, whose Parents was a surprise hit, grossing $166 million. "They have great comic timing. They could have done vaudeville or I Love Lucy or even Tracy-Hepburn stuff."
The first meeting between the Fockers and the Byrneses occurs over afternoon cocktails. Streisand, in her first film in eight years, devised an inspired addition to the dialogue, Roach says.
"Dustin is giving a toast, and Barbra starts to sip," Roach says. "He tells her, 'You can't drink yet,' so she spits out the drink, ice cube and all, into her glass and says, 'Oh, sorry.' It was a little bit of controlled chaos but in the most delicious way."
The Fockers also are big on public displays of affection, which causes much eye-rolling on De Niro's part.
"They're very open about what they feel and think, and some of it's inappropriate," Roach says.
Streisand, a couples therapist who uses sex as a way to restore intimacy, probes a bit too deeply into the private lives of De Niro and Danner, and the last thing her son wants is his mother meddling with his future in-laws' marriage.
While the Byrneses are big on secrets and "the circle of trust," which means locked doors and hushed phone calls in their stately home, the Fockers let it all hang out in Florida.
When they all meet in Florida, the Byrneses are characteristically buttoned-down: He in muted sport coats; she in blazers and scarves. The Fockers prefer sandals and flowing shirts.
"They're definitely the antithesis of the Robert De Niro family," Roach says. "De Niro has a constant force field around him, like an electric fence."
Matt Zane Exxxposes Self Onstage
From Earache Records: In an incident that calls to mind the antics of Jim Morrison and The Doors, Society 1 have been banned for life from a nightclub in Milwaukee, Wisconsin after frontman Matt "The Lord" Zane exposed himself onstage during the band's performance there with Orgy last week. With police storming the venue, Zane fled the venue in disguise and escaped town in a fan's vehicle.
Why is this a big surprise, the guy used to do porn.
May 24, 2004
Ministry - House of the Molé JUNE 26th
www.ministrymusic.org
Until Nine Inch Nails crossed over to the mainstream, Ministry did more than any other band to popularize industrial dance music, injecting large doses of punky, over-the-top aggression and roaring heavy metal guitar riffs that helped their music find favor with metal and alternative audiences outside of industrial’s cult fan base. Now Ministry is back and stronger than ever. Al Jourgensen has delivered what he believes to be his best work since "Psalm 69."
Al Jourgensen – sometimes known as Revolting Cocks, Pailhead, 1000 Homo DJs, Acid Horse, or PTP – has been making music as Ministry for over twenty years. During that time Ministry has had two Billboard Top 40 albums ("Psalm 69" - #27 – and "Filth Pig" - #19) and been nominated for a Grammy Award (in 2000). Al has also written music for various films, including "Robo Cop", "The Matrix", and "A.I.".
Now reconnected with guitarist Mike Scaccia, Jourgensen enlisted bassist John Monte (Mind Funk) and drummer Mark Baker (Fear) to help throw down Houses Of The Molé, fueled by a political annoyance at hand that significantly colored the proceedings. "No 'W'" is the first mortar fired in Ministry's sonic arsenal, with our President and Orff's Carmina Burana getting recontextualized for maximum evacuation. "Warp City" is a nitrous-burning rave-up that modifies the hot rod that Jesus built (if you catch the drift) with a sequel to Suicide's classic death vibe, "Frankie Teardrop." Ministry has added another wrist-snapping sequel to their "TV Song" series ("WTV") that's both chilling and hilarious. And "Wrong" may be the most scathing indictment of the current administration (check out the ominous Dubya soundbite in the bridge). There's a "W" in every title, and a whole lotta history in every spoon of venom.
Ministry have enlisted guitarist Bryan Kehoe (Les Claypool's Frog Brigade) for their summer tour in support of the new disc. Stay tuned for the lineup, which will include Revolting Cocks and two other big name industrial artists TBA.
Tracklisting
1. No "W"
2. Waiting
3. Worthless
4.Wrong
5. Warp City
6. WTV
7. World
8. WKYJ
9. Worm
10. Psalm32
11. Walrus
Prosecutor Suggests Jackson May Flee U.S.
By LINDA DEUTSCH, Associated Press Special Correspondent
LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's prosecutor is opposing a move by the pop singer to reduce his $3 million bail, arguing the performer might choose to live the rest of his life as "a wealthy absconder" rather than face a life term in a California prison.
The prosecution motion, written by Deputy District Attorney Gerald McC. Franklin, conceded that the county bail schedule calls for a potential maximum bail of $435,000 for the child molestation and conspiracy charges against Jackson, but he argued the performer is no ordinary defendant and the bail schedule does not apply to him.
He cited Jackson's holdings of 2,000 acres in Santa Barbara County as well as other property.
"The defendant here is 'Michael Jackson, international celebrity,' a man whose lifestyle to date would not have prepared him to adapt readily to a prison environment and routine, and whose physical stature will present its own problems for him in making the necessary adjustments.
"Mr. Jackson has doubtlessly given those realities considerable thought," the motion said.
The motion obtained by media lawyers Sunday said Jackson's immense wealth requires at least $3 million bail to insure that he will appear for trial and, if convicted, would be prepared to serve a lengthy prison sentence.
"The temptation to flee must surely be strong for an individual in defendant's circumstances," said the motion. "To suppose otherwise would be to blink reality."
Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mesereau Jr., did not immediately return phone calls Sunday.
The motion included a footnote alluding to the case of Andrew Luster, an heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune who fled from Ventura County to Mexico during his rape prosecution "notwithstanding his $1 million bail bond." Luster ultimately was captured in Mexico.
Franklin posed the likelihood that a number of countries would welcome Jackson if he fled.
"Mr. Jackson is known and adored — 'adored' is not too strong a word — in many of the countries of Europe, the Near East and Africa," said the motion.
"Several of those countries do not have extradition treaties with the United States. ... he may well conclude that life as a wealthy absconder in one of these countries is preferable to what might amount to a life term in a California prison," the motion said.
The motion acknowledged the defense argument that Jackson has made all of his court appearances, but argues that one of the reasons he did so was the $3 million bail.
Jackson has pleaded not guilty to child molestation, administering an intoxicating agent, and a conspiracy count involving allegations of child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion.
Many details of the indictment remain under seal, and media outlets, including The Associated Press, have sued to have the indictment and grand jury transcripts unsealed in their entirety. Their lawyers obtained the prosecution's motion opposing the reduction in bail.
The Jackson defense has opposed public access to the indictment.
In a separate motion, prosecutors said they agree with Jackson's attorneys that secrecy should continue.
The prosecutor said jurors "should learn about the evidence while seated in the jury box, not at the breakfast table or from late-night talk shows."
The motions were to be argued at Jackson's next hearing May 28.
Emergenza Show Finals
All Systems Halt
From the official Emergenza website
After 12 nights at the Double Door in Chicago I got a few things to say about momentum. If you were so lucky to share a night at the club during the Emergenza Semifinals you too would be able to feel what’s happening amongst the Chicago local scene. We started with 97 bands of all shades, styles, attitudes and motivation. 97 bands that wanted to raise the bar for themselves with a chance to move the Emergenza Chicago Finals at the Metro on June the 5th.
I’ve seem a lot of nerves get turned into sincere music. Acoustic guitars, piercing distortion, smooth ballads, rock anthems and more, none the less sincere. Through their music, bands like Collapse, Dedkor and Innerchains made it clear that they were ready to kick your teeth down your throat in the drop of a hat. (In a very sincere way of course) Stellar Road, Chestafried and Zenfeat reminded us all that the acoustic came long before the electric. You want style, how about the haunting sounds of All Systems Halt, Grigori 3 and Urn or the pop, rock, funk combination of the Ghettobillies. (And yes, you guys are hilarious) Emergenza and the 97 bands involved served a buffet of talent at the Double Door and now we have 12. 12 bands that now look at themselves a little different. 12 bands that made it this far. 12 bands that share 1 common goal, Emergenza U.S. Finals in Boston. In order to get themselves there each band must prepare and perform at their highest level. I look these bands in the eye and see the fire, I see the desire, I feel the momentum, you can touch the potential and a very real sense of want. You too can experience that for yourself come time for the finals.
It’s been a real treat for me to manage this tour and see goals being achieved for many of these bands. I can type for days about what I’ve seen, but until you see the tears rolling down the faces Maxlider (see the picture by Angel Sallade) or witness the celebratory beer cans getting smashed off the heads of Crankchest fans or joined in a post show hug with Treologic, you may just not understand what’s on the inside. Every single band out of the 12 remaining have been snowballing this festival up until this point. On June 5th, 1 will survive. Good luck to all that remain and again thank you to every single band that touched the stage since day one.
May 23, 2004
SKINNY PUPPY's TOO DARK BARK
Skinny Puppy's disintegration during the recording of the band's final album, The Process, in 1994 was a bitter and ultimately tragic ending to an important and influential electro-industrial band. Founding member cEvin Key, unhappy with the way the album was progressing in the hands of producer Martin Atkins, absconded with the tapes to Skinny Puppy's hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia, leaving his longtime partner, Nivek Ogre in Los Angeles pondering the fate of the group the two had formed in 1984.
Things would get worse before they got better. In August 1995, keyboardist Dwayne Goettel was found dead of a heroin overdose in his parents' home. The tragedy ultimately brought about the completion of the album they had started with Goettel, but it couldn't heal the rift between the band's co-founders. The Process was released in February 1996 and the two went their separate ways -- Key would form Download, and Ogre, after touring with Pigface, pursued a solo project called OhGr.
"That whole period was kind of a bust all around," says Ogre, speaking from his home in Southern California. "There was no one thing that really kind of broke the back [of the band]. It was a bunch of sustained, multiple -- almost contusion-like -- smashes over the course of that recording period."
It is perhaps with a sense of unfinished business that Key and Ogre return in 2004 with the May 25th release of The Greater Wrong of the Right, the first new Skinny Puppy material to surface in eight years. It's a chance to put to rest long-haunting demons and ensure that the band's legacy isn't one shrouded in sorrow and regret. And though the idea of continuing on without Goettel was hard to imagine at first, it didn't ultimately prevent Ogre from reuniting with Key.
"Instead of using somebody's death as a reason not to do something," explains Ogre, "there was the idea of reconnecting with somebody who I shared a lot of time with. So, as far as remaining acrimonious with somebody, or the concept of 'I'll never do this again because of these elements not being place,' that fades away."
The collaboration that ultimately resulted in The Greater Wrong of the Right was set into motion when promoters of the Doomsday Festival in Dresden, Germany, began calling Key in the late Nineties to inquire about a one-off Skinny Puppy reunion. "I was going through some major changes in my life at the time and I just put a figure out there and they agreed to it," says Ogre. "[The show] seemed like a great thing to do, and it really was. We came off stage and there was a clap of thunder. Ten minutes later there's a torrential downpour."
Following the show, the pair spent a day together in Prague and discussed the possibility of recording together again. However, due to contractual obligations, that wouldn't become a reality for another few years.
Skinny Puppy in 2004 are indeed a different beast. While the band's dark musical elements and outspoken lyrics remain in tact, The Greater Wrong of the Right finds Ogre and Key rediscovering common musical ground. "We're still the same people, but there's better communication between the people inside the band," says Ogre. "We've always been exploring [musically] through darkness in order to try and find some light and peace of mind. Neither of us is there yet, but there's a freeing up of the whole thing in a lot of ways. It's an early chapter, too. There's a bit more playfulness in the music, but there's still kind of a dark construct underneath it."
That dark construct may well have been what ultimately caused Skinny Puppy's immolation in 1994, but a decade later Ogre is using it to further both the music and his own personal healing. "There's still an intense amount of anger and rage in me -- that's the uncompromised thing," he admits. "That's something that, through the approval of my therapist, I can totally pursue on stage."
Skinny Puppy tour dates:
6/11: Portland, OR, Roseland Theater
6/12: Seattle, Showbox
6/15-16: Chicago, Vic Theater
6/17: Detroit, TBD
6/19: Boston, Avalon Ballroom
6/20-21: New York City, Irving Plaza
6/22: Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
6/23: Philadelphia, Electric Factory
6/25: Atlanta, Masquerade
6/26: New Orleans, House of Blues
6/27: Houston, Verizon Theater
6/29: Denver, Ogden Theater
7/1: San Francisco, Grand Ballroom
7/2-3: Los Angeles, Henry Fonda Theater
7/4: Anaheim, Grove of Anaheim
Adult Dream Vacations Invite to Hedonism III
(LOS ANGELES, CA) -- Lane Entertainment and Adult Dream Vacations invites you to Hedonism III in Jamaica. "Ya Mon! The vacation you've always wanted is now available!" Devinn Lane has done it again, and this time she's inviting you to join her. The Wicked Pictures contract star/director/producer is taking resort vacationing to the next level, and fans will now be able to experience the opportunity of a lifetime through the launching of her new company, Adult Dream Vacations. Through AdultDreamVacations.com, fans have the chance to join Devinn and other top adult film stars for exotic, unparalleled adventure at Jamaica's Hedonism III, the ultimate vacation resort for the mind, body, and spirit.
In announcing her plans for Adult Dream Vacations, Devinn reveals, "I have never been one to shy away from interacting one-on-one with my fans. With the trips that I will be offering, fans will get to party in a beautiful super all-inclusive paradise with some of the hottest stars in adult entertainment." In addition to Devinn, stars currently scheduled to appear at the exclusive event are fellow Wicked Pictures contract girls Sydnee Steele, Kaylani Lei, and jessica drake, as well as Nicole Sheridan, Ashley Long and Kristal Summers. And for the ladies, Evan Stone and Voodoo will be attending.
Vip space is limited to ensure more individualized attention for all Vip guests. A variety of events are scheduled on top of the already extensive list of resort activities. There will be a "Be a Wicked Model for a Day" contest where female guests will be able to compete for an opportunity to have a make-up artist and personal photographer give them their very own photo shoot while at Hedonism Iii. The list of sponsors for this trip includes Wicked Pictures, Connections Magazine, Lane Entertainment, Hedonism Iii, and Playboy TV.
Reflecting on Adult Dream Vacations, Devinn sums up her plans by observing, "With the way that I travel and the adventures that I personally like to take, it just made sense for me to go in this direction. I can't wait to show other people all the things that I write about.
"This will be something that people will never forget, and something they'll want to come back for."
For more information on this event visit AdultDreamVacations.com or to book travel call 1-888-2DEJAVU.
AdultDreamVacations.com
DevinnLane.com
WickedPictures.com
ConnectionOnLine.com
SuperClubs.com
PlayboyTV.com
New SUNWHEEL PSYCHEDELIC Songs Available For Free Download
There are 8 previous unreleased B-Sides from SUNWHEEL PSYCHEDELIC available at their official website www.sunwheelpsychedelic.com.
Two of the songs (Spanish Lullaby & Roman Ashes) are a radical departure, more epic in their scope and further expand the sonic palette of the project. They need to be heard in order to make any further comparisons.
01 Raise The Serpent 4:10
02 Rejuvenation 5:16
03 Chasing The Dragon 4:49
04 Let It Go 4:15 download
05 This Bed I Lay In 5:21
06 Soma 4:50 download
07 Spanish Lullaby 5:39
08 Roman Ashes 9:02
Sunwheel Psychedelic are featured in an in-depth interview in the new issue of MK Magazine. Available everywhere in June.
Hanoi Rocks Go Platinum In Finland / Name New Guitarist
Hanoi Rocks have announced that their new guitarist for Hanoi Rocks is Stevie Klasson.
Their most recent album "Twelve Shots On The Rocks" has gone Platinum in Finland.
The band is currently working on an upcoming summer release, a single for Finland and an EP for Japan.
Original guitarist Andy McCoy has reportedly been approached to fill in for late axeman Johnny Thunders at NEW YORK DOLLS' upcoming reunion shows in June. Although former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Izzy Stradlin originally agreed to fill the slot during NEW YORK DOLLS' upcoming concert at London's Meltdown Festival, he backed out of the deal when he learned that plans existed for the band to do additional dates — a prospect that would have required of Stradlin to learn more of the group's catalogue and to dedicate more of his time than was willing to set aside for the collaboration.
The reunited NEW YORK DOLLS, featuring McCoy on guitar, are expected to perform at the Meltdown and go on to play two or more additional concerts, including at least one show at a Swedish festival.
What this means for the pre- announced possibility of a US tour is not known at this time. Also unspecified is whether or not the new guitarist is filling in for McCoy or on rhythm guitar.
See our interview with Michael Monroe in the new issue of MK Magazine.
MK ViXXXen Sun Karma Updates
We have also updated the gallery by the ViXXXen formerly known as Mina Royale. Meet Sun Karma ad visit her recently updated gallery in our ViXXXens section and visit her website.
New ViXXXens Added
Say hello to our latest MK ViXXXens now available in the ViXXXens section of our website. Ravennaz Bane Obscura and Angela Ryan are our latest. We've also updated the gallery for Sun Karma and as well as updating Messy's gallery we are adding new photos of Messy by Yvette Marie soon.
May 21, 2004
Air Guitar Sells For $5.50
An Arizona music fan has sold his prized possession, an Air Guitar, on eBay for $5.50.
According to his eBay blurb the seller told prospective buyers "you are bidding on an original Air Guitar from the 80's. This one was used once at a Bon Jovi concert in 89 for about 3 hours. I have taken it out a few times since generally after about six beers and a couple of fruity shots".
The real selling point was "just imagine walking into your local bar, sitting down and having seven or eight mixed drinks, and pulling out this latently homosexual instrument of over intoxication."
After that endorsement, the bids just flowed in for the Air Guitar. They started at $1 and quickly jumped to $3 then up it went in 50c increments until it peaked at $5.50 and was sold to the lucky buyer.
The seller did point out that by buying an Air Guitar you are buying absolutely nothing but the bids came in regardless.
The highest bidder was also given a certified letter of authenticity and a partially used nudy magazine.
Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash Sotheby’s Auction
CASH LIQUIDATION: Sotheby’s will be auctioning off items from the estate of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash on Sept. 14 and 15, according to an AP report. Some 650 items, valued at $1.5 million, are set to go on the block, including instruments, lyrics, clothes, Grammy awards and a black ’02 Ford pickup. A Cash-designed guitar is expected to go for $15,000, while seven of his Grammys are expected to fetch between $5,000 and $10,000 each.
Jesse Jane Draws Attention in Cannes
By: Ron Martin AVN.com
CANNES - Digital Playground exclusive performer Jesse Jane has had a busy year of promotions, building her career one magazine cover and TV appearance at a time. And during her recent trip to the Cannes Film Festival, her hard work paid off – with more promotion opportunities.
Touring Cannes on a publicity run, Jane was a hit with the media covering the famed festival. She has already appeared live on Canal Plus and every major French network in addition to Italian, German and other European telecasts. Jane is scheduled to complete her media tour with interviews and photo opportunities published in every major magazine covering the show including two appearances in The Cannes Times.
"This is a dream come true. I'd like to thank Digital Playground for giving me this opportunity and making all my dreams come true," Jane said. "I'm truly the luckiest girl in the world."
Besides gracing a number of magazine covers over the last year, Jane was also chosen as the cover model for Drowning Pool's latest album "Desensitized" and is featured in the band's video for their single "Step Up."
And of course, Jane is the host of Digital Playground's Internet show, DP Tonight.
May 20, 2004
MK EXXXCLUSIVE ONLINE STORE UPDATED!
The MK Reviews for CD's and DVD's sections are Updated and you can now purchase the best and most subculture entertainment at OUR DISCOUNT if you order online.
coming soon GAUGE!!!!!!
By the weekend, BIG BUDGET ADULT Entertainment at our discount!
Coming Soon: A Cellphone Directory
By Jube Shiver Jr. Times Staff Writer
WASHINGTON — After years of anonymity, the numbers of most of the nation's mobile phones will be compiled later this year in the first wireless directory.
The database being assembled by the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Assn. is expected to include about 75% of the 163 million mobile phones in the United States, making looking up a wireless number as easy as dialing 411.
The association is pitching the directory as a boon for real estate agents and other on-the-go professionals who want people to be able to find their mobile numbers.
But privacy advocates, some members of Congress and even a major cellular carrier — Verizon Wireless — fear that mobile phones, once immune to telemarketers and e-mail spammers, could become as vulnerable as home telephone lines and computer in-boxes.
"The world of telecommunications continues to change, and every day wireless becomes a more significant part of our world," CTIA President Steve Largent said. "This system will provide consumers an opportunity to opt in, if they choose."
Critics counter that the promise of consumer choice is disingenuous because many cellphone service contracts contain clauses that give permission to publish numbers.
They predict that there will be the kind of spam deluge that already plagues mobile users in Europe and Asia, where full- featured phones are more common than in the United States. Beyond that, it's unclear whether people would be on the hook to pay for unwanted calls and e-mails.
Many mobile phone customers pay for the airtime on incoming calls, e-mails and text messages.
Wireless carriers say they doubt there will be widespread abuse. They point out that most mobile phones come equipped with caller ID, distinctive ring tones, call blocking and other tools to manage unwanted calls. And several carriers say they have made refunds to subscribers who have received unwanted calls.
Even so, "I don't want the world to know my cellphone number," said Rep. Joseph R. Pitts (R-Pa.), who has introduced a bill to prevent wireless phone companies from automatically including customers in the directory without getting their permission and from charging customers if they want unlisted numbers. "This is a big privacy issue."
It's also a big money issue for an industry suffering through brutal price wars. A wireless directory could generate as much as $3 billion a year in fees and additional minutes by 2009, according to a study conducted by consulting firm Zelos Group Inc.
The carriers "are either going to make money by getting lots of people listed in the directory" and charging for its use, "or they they'll make money by charging people not to be in it," said Roger Entner, a wireless analyst for the Yankee Group.
Some people may welcome the directory as a quick way to get numbers for friends.
"The younger audience of students, who have essentially grown up with mobile phones and don't differentiate between them [and] wired phones, may be more receptive because it is their primary means of communications," Forrester Research Inc. analyst Charles Golvin said.
In the years since cellphones burst onto the market, wireless numbers have remained mostly private because call recipients have to pay for airtime and thus have been reluctant to distribute numbers widely.
What's more, 30% of wireless customers change carriers each year, complicating the task of compiling an accurate directory. Until recently, when customers switched carriers, their numbers changed as well, so marketers were reluctant to invest much energy in compiling databases of such nomadic users.
That changed last year when the Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) allowed wireless subscribers to keep their numbers when they switched. The rules also permit subscribers of wired phones to transfer their home or office numbers to cellular phones.
Jim Conway, vice president of government affairs at the Direct Marketing Assn., said some members were already inadvertently calling consumers who had transferred their home numbers to their cellphones.
He said members of the association, the largest trade group for telemarketers, remained sensitive to privacy concerns.
"The last thing you want as a marketer is to call your customer on his cellphone, because it's considered so private and personal," Conway said. "But with people porting home numbers to their cellphone, you can't tell anymore."
Cellphone numbers can be added to the Federal Trade Commission's "do-not-call" list. Many telemarketing operations, though, don't belong to the Direct Marketing Assn., which honors the list. Nor do the most prolific e-mail spammers, some of whom flout anti-spam laws.
"My [phone] already has started to get deluged with spam from pornographers and get-rich-quick schemes, and this directory will only make things worse," said Bob Eagan, president of consulting firm Mobile Competency Inc.
The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Assn. insists that customers will have to agree for their numbers to be listed in the directory, but many subscribers may already have given permission by signing service contracts that allow their numbers to be used in a wireless directory.
For instance, the wireless customer service agreement posted on T-Mobile USA's website says that "unless you make other arrangements with us and pay any required fee, we may list your name, address, and number in a public directory."
A T-Mobile spokesman said the company planned to change the contract and not charge customers to be included or excluded from the CTIA directory.
"It will be strictly on an opt-in basis," Richard Brudvik-Linder said. "All we will be charging is 99 cents" to callers requesting directory assistance.
Nonetheless, Verizon Wireless vowed not to include its 39 million subscribers in the directory and chided the effort as "misguided."
"We feel that customers like their wireless phone numbers private," Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney said. "Those customers who wish can have their phone number published right now in the regular White Pages phone directory."
"Circle of Snakes" Title of DANZIG's New Disc
The release date of DANZIG's eighth studio album, "Circle of Snakes", has been pushed back to the last week of August, according to the official DANZIG fansite The 7th House. A single from the album — containing the title cut, "1000 Devils Reign" and another song to be announced later — will surface by the end of June. The album will be released through Glenn Danzig's Evilive label in the U.S. and Regain Records in Europe.
"Circle of Snakes" track listing:
01. Intro
02. Skincarver
03. 1000 Devils Reign
04. Circle of Snakes
05. Netherbound
06. Hellmask
07. When We Were Dead
08. TBA (working title: "Devilsnight")
09. Skull Forrest
10. My Darkness
11. Black Angel, White Angel
The layout for the upcoming album is just about done. The cover features a "killer artwork piece and custom font, both designed by Glenn Danzig," according to a posting on The 7th House.
DANZIG will be playing dates in Europe in July and August. A "Blackest of The Black" U.S. tour will kick off late August and will run through September. DANZIG's current lineup consists of Glenn Danzig (vocals), Tommy Victor (guitar, PRONG), Bevan Davies (drums, COMES WITH THE FALL), and Jerry Montano (bass, ex-THE DEADLIGHTS).
May 19, 2004
ALL SYSTEMS HALT In Emergenza Finals
Our Friends ALL SYSTEMS HALT have made the final 12 for Emergenza's European and North American Music Festival. Join us and see what the hype is all about at the finals being held at Chicago's Metro Sat. June 5th, 8PM.
JENNA JAMESON HAS A NEW FOUR-STORY BILLBOARD IN TIMES SQUARE
NEW YORK CITY - (May 19, 2003) – Adult megastar Jenna Jameson begins a new run on Broadway today as the star of her third billboard to rise over Times Square, and this one is a guaranteed four-story-tall crowd-stopper. Ms. Jameson, wearing only the tiniest of bikini panties and with her full breasts abundantly pendulous, is draped seductively over male co-star Justin Sterling to advertise her newest blockbuster film, Jenna Jameson is The Masseuse.
The 48-foot tall by 32-foot wide billboard from Vivid.com and ClubJenna.com announces, “Jenna Jameson is The Masseuse” and proclaims that the video and DVD by that name will be released by Vivid on July 4th. The billboard faces south and west above Broadway between 47th and 48th streets. It is owned by Artkraft Strauss of New York City and has been co-leased by Ms Jameson's company, ClubJenna, Inc., and the world’s leading adult film studio, Vivid Entertainment Group, where the actress is under exclusive contract as a Vivid Girl.
Jenna Jameson billboards have become somewhat of a destination on the Great White Way. Her first Times Square billboard– in which the actress, dressed in just a thong, asked, "Who Says They Cleaned Up Times Square?" -- raised the ire of the Methodist Church. Church leaders complained because it was permitted while they were barred from erecting a billboard near by. That decision was later reversed.
Jenna Jameson is The Masseuse is directed by Paul Thomas and is the first co-production of Vivid Entertainment Group and Club Jenna Inc. It is a remake of a famous adult film starring Hypatia Lee and Randy Spears, for which Mr. Thomas won the AVN Best Director Award in 1985. Mr. Sterling, Ms. Jameson’s male co-star in the remake, is also an adult film director who has directed her in several films. Jenna Jameson is The Masseuse. received a perfect 5 Star rating from Adult Video News magazine will be available in stores July 4th in video and DVD.
May 17, 2004
Paramount Remaking George Romero's The Crazies
Paramount Pictures is developing The Crazies, a remake of George Romero's 1972 SF horror-thriller film, with Michael Aguilar and Dean Georgaris to produce at their Penn Station company, Variety reported. The film will update the storyline of the original, in which inhabitants of a small Pennsylvania town are beset by death and insanity after a plane crash lets loose a secret biological weapon into the water supply, the trade paper reported.
Romero, who directed and co-wrote the original movie with Paul McCollough, is executive producing.
Danny Elfman Talks About Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Film composer Danny Elfman told SCI FI Wire that, while he's finishing the score for Spider-Man 2, he's doing preliminary work on Tim Burton's upcoming fantasy film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. "As soon as I'm done with Spider-Man 2, I jump right into both Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and another animated Tim Burton film called The Corpse Bride," Elfman said in an interview.
Elfman, who previously composed the music for such Burton films as Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow and Big Fish, sounded particularly excited about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. "It just looks like it's going to be tons of fun," he said. "The first attempt at writing a first idea for a song [was] so whacked out. I just sat there writing this crazy thing in the middle of the night and put 20 voices on it myself as a demo. I sent it out there, and Tim liked it."
Elfman added, "[The film] is going to be really great. It seems like really fertile ground. The script is good. I like Johnny Depp a lot. So I think doing an adaptation from the book could be great. I know it's always dangerous doing a remake of something that's much loved. I've been down this road before. I just hope it gets a shot at being its own thing." Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, based on the Roald Dahl children's book, is in preproduction now with an eye toward a July 2005 release.
TROMA-THON Hits CHICAGO In June
Hot on the heels of MOVIESIDES successful festival featuring George Romero and Jack Hill
Movieside Presents: Tromathon with Lloyd Kaufmann Friday June 18, Saturday June 19 2004
@ Biograph Theater - 2433 N Lincoln Ave with Films, Live Music and more!
Friday - June 18, 2004
Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL)
Tickets $8 pre-sale/$10 @ the door
Special Guest - Lloyd Kaufman
8pm - Toxic Avenger
10pm - Toxic Avenger 2
Plus a visit from Toxie
short films -
=========================================
Friday, June 18, 2004
Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL)
Tickets $8 pre-sale $10 @ the door
Special Guest - Lloyd Kaufman
Midnight - Toxic Avenger
Plus Troma Trailers, Toxic Avenger in Person,
Gifts, Horror Costume Contest (awesome prizes!!)
=========================================
Saturday, June 18, 2004
Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL)
Tickets $8 pre-sale $10 @ the door
Special Guest Host - Lloyd Kaufman
8pm - Tromeo & Juliet
10pm - Class of Nuke 'em High
Plus Troma Trailers & 80s horror trailers
=========================================
Saturday, June 18, 2004
Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL)
Tickets $8 pre-sale $10 @ the door
Special Guest - Lloyd Kaufman
Midnight - Tromeo & Juliet
Plus Troma Trailers, Gifts,
Horror Costume Contest
=========================================
Presale Tickets Available at:
Nationwide Video (843 W. Belmont) 1.773.525.1222
Earwax Cafe (1561 N. Milwaukee Ave.) 1.773.772.4019
www.earwaxcafe.com
Sound Gallery (1821 W. North Ave.) 1.773.235.8472
www.2ndhandtunes.com
2nd Hand Tunes (All Locations/Clark 2602 N. Clark) 1.773.281.8813
Hyde Park - 1377 E. 53rd St - 1.773.684.3375
Oak Park - 179 S. Oak Park Ave. - 1.708.524.2880
Evanston - 800 Dempster St. - 1.847.491.1690
www.2ndhandtunes.com
Laurie's Planet of Sound (4639 N. Lincoln Ave.) 1.773.271.3569
www.lauriesplanetofsound.tripod.com
Check out: WWW.MOVIESIDE.COM
May 16, 2004
Porn Stars & Comic Books
by: Steven Crompton Carnal Comics
Backstage Book Exposes 10 Years of Carnal Comics. Carnal Comics is opening its vaults for a behind-the-scenes illustrated book that reveals All about working with the sexiest women on the planet to create the top-selling adults-only comic series, Carnal Comics: True Stories of Adult Film Stars.
Carnal has sold over a million comic books, with bio and fantasy stories created by famous porn stars such as Jenna Jameson, Jasmin St. Claire, Savannah, Ginger Lynn, Marilyn Chambers, Jill Kelly, Annabel Chong and nearly 100 others since its 1994 inception.
Carnal Comics: The Inside Story is a 56 page softcover compendium featuring long-lost artwork from the Carnal Comics archives and brand-new illustrated essays and interviews with virtually everyone ever involved in Carnal, from the publishers through the porn stars who co-crafted comics themselves. Included are production sketches, samples from unpublished comics, outtake photos, alternate artwork and more.
Essays reveal amazing stories such as: The cover artist who got oral sex under a comic-con table while signing autographs, backstage romances between staffers and stars, the porn ladies Carnal did not work with and why, even one young Carnal intern describing how he lost his virginity to a particularly lubricious starlet while trying to pack comic book orders! Much rare and spectacular material comes from the files of original Carnal publisher Jay Allen Sanford, who worked directly with the women to create every Carnal issue through 1999.
Sanford disappeared abruptly from atop the comic scene amidst speculation of his death or worse, last seen in the company of Carnal starlet Christina Angel. Steven S. Crompton tracked down the reclusive Sanford, prying loose an amazing array of revealing & rare material that will fascinate even those unfamiliar with Carnal Comics. The book unveils:
What did Gene Simmons of Kiss have to do with the formation of Carnal?
Why is Carnal founder Todd Loren's murder linked to serial killer Andrew Cunanan?
Which porn stars were naughty, which nice and which never got a comic (and why?)
Which well-known mainstream creators (many of them women) did Carnal stories?
The Inside Story includes rare and never-published artwork by famed creators including Daerick Gross (Vampire Lestat), Pat Broderick (X-Men), Kevin Breyfogle (Batman), Fauve aka Holly Golightly (Vampfire), Mike Wolfer (Razor), Phil Garris (Grateful Dead album cover painter), Ken Meyer, Jr. (Magic: The Gathering) and more. Dozens of the world's best-known porn stars appear as well and a complete checklist of every Carnal comic and starlet rounds out the package, including dates, art credits and variant cover details. Lots of hot photos, too!
Carnal Comics: The Inside Story (adults only) ships May 7th - illustrated cover features several Carnal starlets. Photo-cover edition fe [Steven] atures Jenna Jameson and Annabel Chong. 56 pages, high grade paper, $5.95 retail, available through Diamond Comics Distribution, DemiComix.com and all well-stocked comic shops, adult boutiques and suppliers. The top-selling "Triple-X Cinema: A Cartoon History" ($14.95 trade paperback) also still available.
May 15, 2004
TYPE O NEGATIVE RUMOR
There is a rumor running about the internet that TYPE O NEGATIVE have signed a record deal with a particular labels US based company. We will not report on this until we get the official word from the people at the label who are doing some other things with MK at this time. As soon as this is in concrete we will have the word.
STAY TUNED!
PRONG, SUBSONIC and Then Some... Diary Updated
AZ andTommy Victor photo by SuZn
For those who have been waiting the DIARY OF A DAMNED MAN entry for the last week has finally been updated.
Photos will be updated in the next 72 being that we have hundreds from this stretch.
For those of you who care less, please read on.
- AZ
May 14, 2004
Marilyn Manson Seeks Revenge
Marilyn Manson is out for blood.
The rocker and bandmate Madonna Wayne Gacy have filed a lawsuit against an ex-bandmember and a Florida record label to halt the release of an album of old Manson tracks.
The suit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Apr. 28, claims that Scott Putesky and label Empire Musicwerks unlawfully used illustrations from the mascara-lovin' showman's tome The Long Hard Road into Hell on Lunch Boxes & Choklit Cows--a disc of material Manson recorded in 1993 with his former band, the Spooky Kids.
The complaint says that the sale of the album and accompanying DVD constituted infringement on the Antichrist Superstar's trademark and copyright and also violated a settlement agreement Putesky signed with Manson after exiting the band in 1996.
Manson (aka Brian Warner) and Gacy (whose real name is Stephen Bier) are asking a judge not only to block the album's sale, but they're also seeking at least $500,000 restitution as well as unspecified punitive damages.
Neither Putesky--who played guitar for Manson in the early '90s under the moniker Daisy Berkowitz--nor his attorney, Richard Wolfe, could be reached for comment. Calls to Empire and Manson's reps were not immediately returned Friday.
However, Wolfe told Billboard that the lawsuit was "ill conceived" and said he would have liked to have seen the case been made in Florida's Broward County Circuit, where prior motions regarding a settlement have already been filed.
"We've tried to work things out with Manson," Wolfe said. "He doesn't respond."
Putesky said in a recent interview that he kept early recordings of the Manson band, figuring the Satan-friendly performer would eventually hit the big time.
Manson, of course, is probably better known for making controversy than making music. And he shows no signs of quitting.
The 35-year-old rock oddity is in talks to take on the role of Jesus Christ in Diamond Dead, an upcoming film by director George Romero (Night of the Living Dead).. Described as a dark comedy, it tells the tale of a rock band that makes a deal with the devil and reportedly features a scene in which Jesus smokes pot.
Such a dope show is already being crucified by conservative Christians, some of whom have vowed to shut down production on the movie.
"The idea of Marilyn Manson in the role of Jesus Christ is getting all sorts of reactions," trumpets the Diamond Dead Website. "Someone emailed me saying that it's a horrible and anti-Christian idea, but, nevertheless, they are praying for us."
And that's just the latest in a long line of controversial Manson moments.
Last fall, officials at Six Flags Darien Lake in upstate New York barred him from appearing at the venue as part of Ozzfest after deeming his stage act "inappropriate."
And in December, authorities in Zurich launched a criminal investigation after fielding complaints by a religious group offended by his 2001 concert there, but prosecutors ultimatelydeclined to press charges.
Manson, who describes his onstage antics as "shock art," also faced charges of disorderly conduct and assault and battery after gyrating his genitalia on a security guard's head during a 2002 show in Michigan. Manson ended up pleading no contest and was ordered to pay $4,000 in fines but avoided jail time.
Ash Taking On Freddy And Jason?
Bruce Campbell, who played Ash in the Evil Dead horror films, told SCI FI Wire that there is "some validity" to the rampant rumors about the possibility of a movie that would pit his character against Freddy of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Jason from the Friday the 13th franchise. But Campbell added that nothing is imminent. "As I've been explaining to people, this wouldn't be a movie where you could just make a phone call and go, 'Let's do it,' and then it all happens," Campbell said in an interview. "You've got three franchises."
Campbell added, "[That] means you have 17 lawyers, each going, 'Yeah, look at my franchise. Yeah, look at my franchise.' So you have to get past that. Then you have to get past the question of 'how will the characters be treated?' What would you do with Ash? There's no way I'd be in it if I lost. No way. The good guy has to win, especially in that movie. You couldn't kill two whole franchises, but we could sure maim them."
ACE FREHLEY's UFO Encounter Included In VH1 Special
According to Antimusic.com, two of the segments that are scheduled to be included in "100 Most Metal Moments" — the upcoming VH1 special focusing on the "entertaining (and sometimes shocking) moments" that defined heavy metal music's heyday — have to do with former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley. One deals with Ace's on-stage electrocution 1976 and the other is about his UFO encounter in 2002.
The UFO piece reports on Ace's UFO encounter with commentary from Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Sebastian Bach, Eddie Trunk and John Ostronomy. Ace originally told DJ Eddie Trunk about his encounter on Eddie's radio show, "Eddie Trunk Rocks", in July 2002.
"100 Most Metal Moments" premieres on Monday, May 31 at 10:00 p.m. Narrated by the always outrageous Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER), this special continues the tradition of VH1's "100 Greatest" series of specials which debuted with "100 Greatest Artists of Rock and Roll" in March of 1998.
SICK ROMPS AT PORNY PRISON
By BRIDGET HARRISON from NTPOST.com
(editors note: I am still in amazed that the general public is so shocked by these incidents. These things have been going on for years on military bases. It is only now that the media is so involved with the war that the photos and video are made available. A good portion of recruits are sadistic and it is only now that many of them who have been "caught in the act" are exposed.)
May 14, 2004 -- Iraq's feared Abu Ghraib jail was one big sex romp - sometimes by candlelight with an audience watching, U.S. troops said yesterday.
Sex and alcohol were commonplace, and soldiers frequently set up candlelit rooms for voyeuristic sex shows, said a soldier who served at the notorious prison.
"There were lots of affairs. There was all kinds of adultery and alcoholism and all kinds of crap going on," said Dave Bischel, a National Guardsman with the 870th Military Police unit, who returned home from Abu Ghraib last month.
"There was a bed found in one of the abandoned buildings. There was a mattress on the ground. They had chairs all circled around it and candles all over the place," said Bischel, adding the chairs were "obviously for an audience."
The soldier said the X-rated liaisons at the prison were made easier by its maze-like layout and that other troops frequently turned a blind eye to what their pals were up to.
"One of the female soldiers supposedly had sex in a gang bang," said Terry Stowe, an MP from California. "From time to time, things like this would happen."
News of the shocking sexcapades in the controversial lockup come as a friend of disgraced reservist Lynndie England lashed out in her defense yesterday, saying tapes of her having sex in the prison were personal to her and the boyfriend with whom she is "in love."
Congress members, who viewed shocking new pictures of abuse in the Iraqi jail, said England appeared in a sicko video having sex in front of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and that she was snapped in graphic sex acts with other U.S. soldiers.
But one family friend insisted the racy reservist had sex only with her boyfriend, Spc. Charles Graner - one of six others from the 372nd Military Police Company facing charges for the abuse - and that the pair are "madly in love."
He said the X-rated tapes had been taken from their foot lockers.
"We are all amazed by this. She only had sex with him," said Kenny Flanagan, who has known England since childhood.
The pregnant England, who is now stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., met Graner, 35, a divorced father of two, shortly before the pair's Maryland-based unit was posted to Iraq.
Graner is charged with overseeing numerous abuses of Iraqi prisoners, and appears in several photos with the young private, leering at humiliated Iraqi captives.
Another soldier involved in the scandal, Spc. Jeremy Sivits, told Army investigators Graner would mock the detainees and brutalize them, The Los Angeles Times reported last night.
In one incident, he allegedly punched a detainee so hard, he knocked him unconscious. "His eyes were closed and he was not moving," Sivits was quoted as saying. Afterward, Graner shook his fist and said, "Damn, that hurt," the report says.
Sivits, who the paper said is expected to plead guilty at a court-martial proceeding next week, also disputed England's claims that she was ordered to pose for the snapshots that shocked the world.
One picture showed her holding a naked Iraqi man on a dog leash, and in others, she is shown making thumbs-up signs in front of a pyramid of naked Iraqi men and pointing at the genitals of a naked prisoner.
Sivits said England was "laughing at the different stuff that they were having the detainees do."
He also shot down her claim that the soldiers were ordered to abuse the prisoners, and said Graner warned him not to tell higher-ups about how they were being treated.
"Our command would have slammed us," Sivits said.
New photos and videos revealed by the Pentagon to lawmakers in a private viewing Wednesday showed attack dogs snarling at cowing prisoners, Iraqi women forced to expose their breasts, and naked prisoners forced to have sex with each other, the lawmakers revealed.
Jack Hill and George Romero At Chicago's Movieside Festival - Starts Today
George Romero (Director of Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Knightriders, The Crazies, Martin & Creepshow)
and Jack Hill (Director of Foxy Brown, Coffy, Spider Baby, The Big Bird Cage, & Switchblade Sisters.) along with Rusty Tails will take over the legendary Biograph Theatre beginning today for the Movieside 2004 Film Festival.
Jack Hill Guest Hosts Movieside
Friday - May 14, 2004
Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL )
Tickets $8 Presale $10 @ the door
Live Performances by:
Environmental Encroachment
The Coughs
John Rockin' Battles
Functional Blackouts
7:45pm - Jack Hill introduces Spider Baby.
8pm - Spider Baby (Horror Classic!!)
Plus - The Host (Short that inspired Apocalypse Now).
9:30 - Jack Hill Interview & Audience Q&A.
10:15pm - Switchblade Sisters (Quentin Tarantino's favorite film)
Midnight - Coffy (Starring Pam Grier)
Saturday - May 15, 2004 - doors open at 7pm
Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL)
Tickets $10 Presale/$12 at the door
Live Performances by:
Environmental Encroachment
Sally Timms
8pm - Acne - Rusty Nails' cult classic film!!
Plus - Misfits Video - "Scream" - (by Romero)
9:30 - Night of the Living Dead
The original masterpiece.
11pm - George Romero discusses his
work. Audience Q & A will follow.
Special guest appearance by Mark Borchardt(of American Movie)
Saturday May 15 - 11:30pm
Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave.)
Chicago, IL
$10 Presale/$12 at the door
Live Performances by:
Environmental Encroachment
The Manhandlers
Mucus
11:30pm - Night of the Living Dead
Special guest appearance by Mark Borchardt(of American Movie)
Plus Romero Trailers!!
& Misfits' Scream Video
& Rare Romero Commercials
George Romero will introduce
Night of the Living Dead
Sunday, May 16 2004 - doors open at 4pm
Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave.)
Tickets $10 Presale/$12 at the door
Live Performances by:
Environmental Encroachment,
Three Dollar Bill
The Phenoms
5pm - Day of the Dead
7pm - George Romero Interview And Q & A.
8pm - The Crazies
9:30pm - Creepshow
George Romero Q & A.
Presale Tickets Available (Starting April 26, 2004):
Nationwide Video (843 W. Belmont)
Earwax Cafe (1561 N. Milwaukee Ave.)
Una Mae's (1422 N. Milwaukee Ave.)
Sound Gallery (1821 W. North Ave.)
2nd Hand Tunes (All Locations)
Laurie's Planet of Sound (4639 N. Lincoln Ave.)
Festival Passes Available for $25. Individual Tickets also Available.
COMING SOON!
Friday June 18, Saturday June 19 2004
@ Biograph Theater - 2433 N Lincoln Ave
Movieside Presents: Tromathon with Lloyd Kaufmann
Performances by: Vee Dee
Friday - June 18, 2004
Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL)
Tickets $8 pre-sale/$10 @ the door
Special Guest - Lloyd Kaufman
8pm - Toxic Avenger
10pm - Toxic Avenger 2
Plus a visit from Toxie
short films -
=========================================
Friday, June 18, 2004
Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL)
Tickets $8 pre-sale $10 @ the door
Special Guest - Lloyd Kaufman
Midnight - Toxic Avenger
Plus Troma Trailers, Toxic Avenger in Person,
Gifts, Horror Costume Contest (awesome prizes!!)
=========================================
Saturday, June 18, 2004
Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL)
Tickets $8 pre-sale $10 @ the door
Special Guest Host - Lloyd Kaufman
8pm - Tromeo & Juliet
10pm - Class of Nuke 'em High
Plus Troma Trailers & 80s horror trailers
=========================================
Saturday, June 18, 2004
Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL)
Tickets $8 pre-sale $10 @ the door
Special Guest - Lloyd Kaufman
Midnight - Tromeo & Juliet
Plus Troma Trailers, Gifts,
Horror Costume Contest
=========================================
Presale Tickets Available at:
Nationwide Video (843 W. Belmont) 1.773.525.1222
Earwax Cafe (1561 N. Milwaukee Ave.) 1.773.772.4019
www.earwaxcafe.com
Sound Gallery (1821 W. North Ave.) 1.773.235.8472
www.2ndhandtunes.com
2nd Hand Tunes (All Locations/Clark 2602 N. Clark) 1.773.281.8813
Hyde Park - 1377 E. 53rd St - 1.773.684.3375
Oak Park - 179 S. Oak Park Ave. - 1.708.524.2880
Evanston - 800 Dempster St. - 1.847.491.1690
www.2ndhandtunes.com
Laurie's Planet of Sound (4639 N. Lincoln Ave.) 1.773.271.3569
www.lauriesplanetofsound.tripod.com
Check out: WWW.MOVIESIDE.COM
May 13, 2004
New AVNOnline.com Launches
AVN Online magazine is proud to announce the re-launch of AVNOnline.com, the adult Internet's ultimate destination for Webmasters seeking up-to-date news and information covering the most profitable sector on the Web.
Several months in the making, the new AVNOnline.com offers far more than just a prettier face and an enhanced interface that's fast loading and effortless to navigate.
In addition to the definitive breaking news that visitors have come to expect, Webmasters and other Web professionals will now receive enhanced exposure and added value in a number of ways. These include more Web exclusive features, a vastly improved searchable database, and a monthly Advertiser Index culled from AVN Online magazine that includes hotlinks to the advertiser's Websites and e-mail.
According to AVN Director of Internet Development Farley Cahen, the real improvements to the site are behind the scenes.
"We spent a lot of time and resources integrating the new site with AVN.com's back end in order to create an enhanced experience for the user," he said. "Not only are both databases now comprehensively searchable, but all of our existing sections such as Industry Directory, AVN Insider, Reviews, and our many consumer destinations, are now viewable from each site.
"We've also added additional advertising opportunities," said Cahen. "Our existing and future advertisers will benefit greatly from strategically placed but non-obtrusive spots."
"I couldn't be happier about how the new Website looks and performs," said Tom Hymes, Editor in Chief of AVN Online magazine. "I was sort of getting used to waiting for the old site to load. It gave me a chance to use the bathroom or grab a snack. Now I'll have to take real breaks, because this site loads like a speed demon. But seriously, I now have the real estate and technology to do things for people and companies in the industry that I've wanted to do for a long time. I can't thank Farley enough."
"We're very excited about the additional exposure we'll be able to offer our advertising clients," said AVN Vice President of Sales and Marketing Jennifer Rosenblatt. "We predict the new site will bring our sponsors increased traffic and visibility, both within the industry and with consumers as well."
ROCK CITY MORGUE Part Ways With Guitarist
ROCK CITY MORGUE, the New Orleans, Louisiana-based band featuring former WHITE ZOMBIE bassist Sean Yseult, ex-MAN SCOUTS OF AMERICA frontman Rik Slave, and ex-THE B MOVIE RATS drummer Andy Baker, have posted the following message on their official web site:
"The end of last month brought the MORGUE's record release party, which was a huge success. The band played their new material to a packed One Eyed Jacks and a rabid crowd, and openers IN IT FOR THE HONEY played a fierce set reminiscent of the STOOGES, warming up the crowd nicely.
"The new E.P. is available only through Antidote Records, and in limited amounts — apparently the 10" vinyl sold out immediately, and there is no certain word of another pressing at this time. The good news is that the MORGUE is currently negotiating with labels to release both E.P.s in one package, in the U.S. and overseas, so the records will be easy to find in your local record store, finally! In the meantime, stay tuned for MORGUE sightings this summer. In addition, the band has just been informed of [guitarist] Rhoades D'Ablo's departure from the band — may his MORGUE Memories Rest In Peace. The band wishes him the best of luck in his future twisted rock and roll ventures.
May 12, 2004
MORTIIS New CD Update
Thanks to Blabbermouth for the scoop:
Norway's legendary eccentric artist MORTIIS has set "The Grudge" as the title of his new album, due in September through Earache Records.
The follow-up to 2001's critically acclaimed "The Smell of Rain" was recorded over a six-month period at Silvertone Studios in Fredrickstad, Norway by Mortiis (vocals, synths, programming, sound design), Levi Gawron (guitar), Asmund Sveinunggard (guitar) and Leo Troy (drums) and has been co-produced by Vegard Blomberg. Mastering duties will take place at Norway's premier facility, The Living Room, in Oslo.
Mortiis himself is saying very little about "The Grudge" at the moment other than "It may have taken a while, but we all feel that it was right to spend the last couple of years on the album. We're now working to meet deadlines and I think people will be mighty surprised again."
"The Grudge" will contain ten new tracks, including "Decadent And Desperate" and "Broken Skin", with all the songs drawing from an eclectic mix of inspirations, emotions and experiences,
Once "The Grudge" is completed, MORTIIS will be spending the summer months rehearsing for their mammoth upcoming autumn European tour, details of which will be announced in due course.
May 11, 2004
Trent Reznor Rewrites NIN Rulebook For 'Brutal' New Disc
Those who like industrial rock but hated The Fragile — Nine Inch Nails' epic, progressive and tortured 1999 double album — might want to give Trent Reznor another shot when Bleed Through comes out later this year.
This disc, too, is likely to be filled with bitterness and loathing, but that's where the comparisons end. Reznor has called the record more "minimal" and "brutal," and in an online Q&A session with members of a Nine Inch Nails mailing list, he elaborated a bit more.
"I'm approaching this record from a totally different mindset and strategy than The Fragile," he said. "Every record I've done has reflected where I've been at as a person when it was done, for better or worse. What is coming out of my head now seems to [come] from a very different place than the last record."
To sonically capture his new mind frame, Reznor is working in Los Angeles with veteran producer Rick Rubin and he's taking an unorthodox approach to songwriting to ensure the album sounds different from his prior offerings.
"One of the rules of this record has been to orchestrate using only monophonic voices. No chords. Anywhere," he wrote. "Most of the synthesis has been done with a rather elaborate and ever-growing modular rig and recorded live. ... Editing and correcting is avoided, if possible [and] whole takes are encouraged as opposed to looping." Reznor added that the rhythm tracks will consist of a combination of real drumming and vintage drum machines.
Bleed Through will be Nine Inch Nails' fourth full studio album since they emerged with the groundbreaking Pretty Hate Machine in 1989. The group also released the scathing EP Broken in 1992 and a number of remix projects.
DAILY BUGLE Page One's From Spiderman 2
Just thought this was fun. Can't wait to see this film.
DEVO 2004 Tour Dates Announced
Fri, 07/23/04 6:00 PM
Devo, Stellastarr Central Park Summerstage
Central Park - New York, NY
GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS $37.50 Ticket Limit = 8
on sale now
Fri, 09/24/04 8:00 PM
Devo Riviera Theatre Chicago, IL
GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS $37.50 Ticket Limit = 6
on sale now
May 07, 2004
TRENT REZNOR About The New Album
According to The NIN Hotline, NINE INCH NAILS mastermind Trent Reznor recently took the time to answer a few questions for the official NINE INCH NAILS mailing list about the group's upcoming album, "Bleedthrough". The following are several excerpts from the latest question-and-answer session
Q: How has your approach to this album been different to the ones in the past? With the commercialism of easy-to-use computer music and software, how do you keep your ideas and sounds fresh?
Trent Reznor: "Some music, repeat, some music created and recorded in computers can sound awfully stale and lifeless to my ears — devoid of passion or sincerity. I love working on computers and probably always will, but I've adopted some strategies that seem to work well to ensure the sound in my head gets on the disk the right way. The element of performance is one of them. Editing and correcting is avoided, if possible, whole 'takes' are encouraged as opposed to looping, etc."
Q: How does the rawness and aggressive nature of the upcoming release compare with the aggressiveness of albums like "Broken"? Can we expect the same sonic layering that was found on "The Downward Spiral" and "The Fragile" or will it be more of a return to the stripped-down nature of NIN's first album, or should we expect an altogether different animal?
Trent Reznor: "It's hard for me to be objective about this. I'm approaching this record from a totally different mindset and strategy than 'The Fragile', so it sounds vastly different to me."
Q: NIN live has historically been a spectacle of a show. Do you think you'll continue with that format for the new record (presuming you will tour it) or do you think you'll go with a more stripped-down, back-to-basics approach, which would possibly come off as more intimate?
Trent Reznor: "I plan on touring extensively when the record is released, and I've been putting a lot of thought into how to do that in a way that conveys what and where I am the most effectively."
Q: You have said "Bleedthrough" is "minimal and a bit brutal" of an album. What instruments and equipment are you using to achieve this sound, and will this entail the use of any digital synthesis as on previous albums?
Trent Reznor: "So far, I've been using a mix of real drumming on some things, old drum machines on others. One of the 'rules' of this record has been to orchestrate using only monophonic voices. No chords. Anywhere. Most of the synthesis has been done with a rather elaborate (and ever growing) modular rig and recorded live. It is mainly comprised of doepfer, analogue solutions, analogue systems and metasonix modules. Reaktor is also extensively used. Guitars are guitars — who cares."
Q: As a person, you've obviously changed since the release of "Pretty Hate Machine" in 1989. In which ways has that change express itself through your music, and in which way will that express itself on your forthcoming album?
Trent Reznor: "Every record I've done has reflected where I've been at as a person when it was done, for better or for worse. What is coming out of my head now seems to be from a very different place than the last record, but again it's hard for me to tell because I'm in here, too."
Letterman's Really - Really "Late Show"
David Letterman's gonna need his beauty sleep after this show.
In a made-for-May sweeps stunt, the gap-toothed comic is inviting night owls to come by the Ed Sullivan Theater next Friday, May 14, and join him for a special 4 a.m. taping of CBS' Late Show with David Letterman.
"It's going to be one-part unpredictable and one-part exciting," said Late Show's executive producer Rob Burnett. "Things seem funnier when you're really really tired."
Dubbed "The 4AM Show," the taping will be held in front of a presumably bleary-eyed studio audience in the wee hours of the morning, but will air in the Late Show's usual 11:35 p.m. time slot later that evening.
While we imagine Dave hasn't been getting too many Z's these days since becoming a new dad last November, the idea for the late taping actually originated with his (apparently highly caffeinated) staff who thought it might come up with some interesting schtick in the "city that never sleeps."
"It was one of the writers' ideas and that writer was immediately fired," Burnett joked (we think).
Letterman usually tapes his Friday show on Thursday evening. The rest of the week, Letterman shoots his Late Show in the afternoon, about five to six hours before it airs.
Burnett says the crew will probably set up cameras around Times Square and other Manhattan locales to capture "how interesting the city is at 4 a.m."
As far as which celebs might be willing to stay up and party with Dave is anybody's guess. Burnett says they're looking for the right kind of guests for such a taping and will make an announcement early next week.
While Letterman still trails rival Jay Leno 's The Tonight Show in the ratings, the CBS funnyman's ratings are dramatically up over last year.
Those vampires interested in obtaining tickets to the "4AM Show" can visit The Late Show's Website (cbs.com/latenight/lateshow or call 212-846-2566.
Ministry Find Both A Monster And A Muse In President Bush
from MTV.com
When George Bush the elder was in the Oval Office in 1992, industrial metal band Ministry released Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed & the Way to Suck Eggs, an unrelenting, scathing album rife with hardcore beats, crunching guitar riffs, distorted vocals and political sound bites. Now that Bush's son is in the White House, Ministry have birthed Houses of the Molé, a disc that parallels the fury and intensity of Psalm 69.
"This is kind of like Psalm 70," singer Al Jourgensen quipped from his ranch in New Mexico. "It has twice the protein of Psalm 69, but half the carbs. We have a saying: 'When Democrats are in office, Ministry albums suck.' So, we're waiting for Jeb Bush to run next time, and then we'll get all pissed off all over again."
He's clearly joking, but there's some truth hiding within Jourgensen's wit. Last year's Animositisomina was pretty harsh and cantankerous for sure, however Ministry's two prior albums, 1999's The Dark Side of the Spoon and 1995's Filth Pig, were lumbering and somewhat monotonous, shattering the momentum the band achieved with Psalm 69.
"I don't know if it has a lot to do with Clinton being in office and the economy being good," Jourgensen said. "I had a really bad addiction problem, and there was more and more computer stuff on the records because I was basically in a walking coma, and [bassist and programmer] Paul [Barker] was doing his bit."
There are a few reasons Houses of the Molé (out June 22) is redolent of vintage Ministry, but the real catalyst was Barker's departure from the band in January (see "Founding Bassist Paul Barker Leaves Ministry"). After he left, Jourgensen abandoned the computer as a songwriting tool, choosing instead to create by jamming in the studio with guitarist Mike Scaccia (who played on Psalm 69), bassist John Monte and drummer Mark Baker. Also, the naysayers who predicted that Barker's absence would spell the end of the band irked Jourgensen.
"Fuck that," Jourgensen barked. "I hired him into the band. He was just like an employee. Ministry is me. He played bass and programmed the computers, I did everything else. So it was a new challenge, and it was really invigorating [to do everything without him for the first time in 18 years]."
To emphasize Ministry's anti-Bush stance, almost every song on the record starts with a 'W': "No 'W,' " "Wrong," Waiting," "Worm," "Walrus," etc. "With the Bushes, the more things change, the more they stay the same," Jourgensen said. "This is a very critical election, and these are our protest songs. We ain't no Dixie Chicks, man. We're not gonna say, 'Well, I kinda don't like Bush' and then apologize for saying it. We hate this fucker."
For the first time, with Houses of the Molé Ministry will put their politics on the road. The band recently joined forces with Punkvoter.com, and when it tours the U.S. in August it'll travel with anti-Bush literature and set up a booth with the hope of signing up 100,000 fans to vote.
"I'm doing this because I see the guy still hanging strong in the polls when it's the most corrupt oligarchy ever to run this country," Jourgensen said. "Bush is really taking the world and throwing it into the toilet, and he's got his hand on the flusher right now. There comes a time when you just gotta do your part, and if everyone just did a little, there's no way he would have won the last election. This is a mission, and when I'm done, hopefully I'll be able to put a banner above us saying, 'Mission accomplished.' "
May 06, 2004
George A Romero's "Diamond Dead" Rock n Roll Zombie Movie
The official web site for the film, titled "Diamond Dead", allows fans to read the scripts from the films, and director Andrew Gaty has been running his casting ideas past users of the site.
Marilyn Manson and Ozzy Osbourne are among the musicians being considered for roles in a rock zombie movie, according to NME.com
"We are finding out about David Bowie, Marilyn Manson and Ozzy Osbourne. We also discussed Gwen Stefani for Aria. I am particularly interested to hear your thoughts on Gwen."
"The script is out to Marilyn for the role of Jesus Christ. Any comments?"
"Diamond Dead" will be made by George A Romero ("Night of the Living Dead") and "Rocky Horror Show" composer Richard Hartley. Ridley and Tony Scott's Scott Free Productions will co-produce the project with Gaty.
The film features a singer who joins a rising band, only to accidentally cause their deaths. After making a pact with the devil, the band returns from the dead, and become highly successful.
RAMMSTEIN: New Album 'Harder Than Before'
From RAMMSTEIN's official web site:
"Recently the FanArea Team had a chance to hear roughly half of the upcoming RAMMSTEIN album, in an unmastered state. Since we did not listen to all the songs, we can not state if they are representative for the whole album but here is our impression summarized: The music seems to be harder than before, and is still highlighted by keyboards throughout and beautiful musical and vocal passages at the right moments. Several of the songs are stuck in our head, especially the chorus of one in particular ... More news about the upcoming RAMMSTEIN album here soon."
RAMMSTEIN have set a June 14 release date for their new single, entitled "Mein Teil".
The recording sessions for the new RAMMSTEIN album took place in Spain while additional recordings were made in a session with strings and a choir in Berlin. Production duties on the upcoming CD are being handled by Jacob Hellner, who worked with the group on "Mutter". No further information is currently available.
Full USA SKINNY PUPPY Tour Schedule
Fri June 11, 2004 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Sat June 12, 2004 Seattle, WA Showbox
Tue June 15, 2004 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Wed June 16, 2004 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Thu June 17, 2004 Detroit, MI TBA
Sat June 19, 2004 Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom
Sun June 20, 2004 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Mon June 21, 2004 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Tue June 22, 2004 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Wed June 23, 2004 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Fri June 25, 2004 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
Sat June 26, 2004 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Sun June 27, 2004 Houston, TX Club V
Tue June 29, 2004 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
Thu July 1, 2004 San Francisco, CA Grand Ballroom
Fri July 2, 2004 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre
Sun July 4, 2004 Anaheim, CA The Grove of Anaheim
VOND REISSUE SET FOR US RELEASE
Candlelight Records confirms May 18 as the US release date for the rare and controversial recording from Norway's Vond. Selvmord, from the artist more popularly known as Mortiis, is a record that has been unavailable for most US fans of the Norwegian musician and finds reintroduction to US audiences as the artist continues work on his next full-length recording, expected later this year.
Issued to limited release in 1997 (under the guise of Slipp Sorgen Los), Selvmord is a four-song, 50 minute ambient adventure that showcased for the first time the industrial-tinged side of the darkwave/ambient musician. "It's like entering a tunnel, a cave with only sadness and darkness," notes Amazon.com. "Some of Mortiis' best work." Its album artwork sparked immediate controversy on the album's initial European release - with several territories banning the album. The album later found two album covers so that fans in Germany and other countries could experience the album.
Mortiis first found acclaim as bassist of the now defunct and legendary black metal band Emperor. Soon, however, the then 18-year-old sought a different musical calling. Departing in 1993, he found solice in ambient sounds of the darkest kind. His early recordings encompassed a sorrowful ambience that gave hint to the musician's more cultural and worldly influences. Stargate, his 1999 release, featured vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva (Cradle of Fith) and is considered by most his breakthru record. Mortiis would tour the US in support of Christian Death, all the while setting up for his latest and most successful album, 2001's Smell of Rain.
Track listing for Selvmord: Selvmord, Nar Livet Tar Farvel, Reisen Til en Ny Verden, Slipp Sorgen Los.
Candlelight Records, with offices in Philadelphia and headquartered in London, is distributed exclusively in the US by Caroline Distribution; in Canada by PHD Canada; throughout the rest of the world by Plastichead Music Distribution.
Chesterfield Kings Release DVD Single & Announce East Coast Dates with The Romantics
Psychedelic/garage-rock band The Chesterfield Kings, through label Sundazed Music, release a DVD Single Plus featuring videos of the two songs, I Don't Understand and Mystery Trip, recently heard on an episode of critically acclaimed HBO series The Sopranos.
In addition to these two full-length videos, the DVD will also include footage from a record release performance a the Virgin Megastore in Times Square, a Mindbending photo gallery, and bio information on the band. The DVD single is available now through music retail and direct from Sundazed at http://www.sundazed.com.
The Rochester New York band has recently performed live on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, and made an appearance, as themselves, on the The Sopranos. The band is currently in the midst of a world tour, with the Romantics, in support of their new album, The Mindbending Sounds of the Chesterfield Kings. On the heels of successful midwest and west coast jaunts the tour is scheduled to head east in May and continue on with dates in Europe being booked for late June/early July.
The east coast dates schedule:
May 18, 2004 - Poughkeepsie, NY
The Chance
May 19, 2004 - Philadelphia, PA
The North Star
May 20, 2004 - New York City, NY
The Mercury Lounge
May 21, 2004 - Providence RI
The Call
May 22, 2004 - New Haven CT
Toad's Place
May 23, 2003 - Boston, MA
The Middle East
http://www.romanticsdetroit.com
http://www.chesterfieldkings.com
Keith Richards To Join Johnny Depp In "Pirates Of The Caribbean" Sequel
Johnny Depp reportedly wants Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards to appear in the "Pirates Of The Caribbean" sequel - as his father. Sources report that the star famously based his character Jack Sparrow on the aged rocker in the celebrated film, and wants to pay tribute to Richards by landing him a role in the follow-up. A source says, "Johnny was slightly embarrassed by all the praise for Pirates because he was really just being Keith. A good way of thanking Keith would be to get him to do a walk-on in the sequel."
New Mofo Wear Girl
(thanks to avn.com for the lead)
Porn themed clothing company Mofo Wear www.mofowear.net has announced the identity of their new Mofo Girl, porn star Cytherea.
"Cytherea is one of the hottest of the new teens working in the porn world today," said Mofo Wear owner Mofo.
Previous Mofo Girls include Avy Scott, Reina Leone, Kayla Marie, Tiffany Mynx, and Belladonna, with whom Cytherea shared a squirting scene in Evil Pink.
Check them all out along with the impressive gallery dedicated to asses.
Look for the Mofo Wear contest in the new issue of MK MAGAZINE.
May 05, 2004
Feliz Cinco De Mayo!
Viva la Fiesta!
In addition to its importance in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is significant to all Americans because it marks the last time that any foreign power has acted the aggressor on North American soil.
Having gained its independence from Spain by 1821, Mexico continued to be a hotbed of unrest. Rich in natural resources and gold, this land was coveted by the U.S. in its push to span the North American continent, as well as by European powers who viewed Mexico as a political foothold in the western hemisphere. Its territorial disputes with the U.S. having been settled by 1849, Mexico's attention was then focused on Europe.
Though Cinco de Mayo is a day of huge military and political significance, it is a day to celebrate pride, independence, and freedom.
Meet The New Batman:
If it's true that clothes make the man, then the outfit that actor Christian Bale is rocking for the upcoming "Batman Begins" makes him one serious badass.
Warner Bros. has unveiled the new Batsuit that Bale — who plays millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne by day and vengeful vigilante Batman by night — is currently filling out for the caped crusader's long-awaited return to the big screen. True to the spirit and story of the film — which captures Batman during his first days as a crimefighter — the new Batsuit is a crude, do-it-yourself model. Bale's Batsuit eschews the codpieces and protruding nipples of past Bat fashions in favor of simple lines, shorter "ears" and a cloth cape.
Oh, and it's also black ... very, very black. The look calls to mind the Batman of Frank Miller's lauded "Year One" comic series from the late '80s, a run that also focused on Bruce Wayne's rather unique decision to moonlight as a nocturnal crimefighter.
Fans got a first taste of the DIY vibe of "Batman Begins" earlier this year, when Warner Bros. unveiled the new Batmobile, a crude urban-assault vehicle unlike the sleek wheels Batman rode in his past on-screen adventures.
Director Christopher Nolan ("Memento," "Insomnia") is currently shooting "Batman Begins" in Iceland with stars Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman and Ken Watanabe. The production will eventually move on to London and Chicago, and the film is expected to hit theaters in the summer of 2005.
May 04, 2004
Houses of the Molé Record Release Party in Hollywood CA
Ministry, Sanctuary Records and Bar Sinister will be hosting the Official Sanctuary Record Release Party at Bar Sinister on Saturday, June 26th 2004, with an in-person appearance by Ministry.
First 25 full-price ticket holders receive a Houses of the Molé poster signed by the entire band. Evening features new and old Ministry trax, rare video footage and performance, by LA-based band, New Rising Son. New Ministry merchandise and autographed cds will be available for purchase.
323-769-7070 1652 n. cherokee avenue hollywood, california
just south of hollywood blvd and three blocks east of highland
Fourth HIV Case Found in California Porn Industry
By Gina Keating
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A fourth adult film performer has tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS but the case is unrelated to an outbreak that virtually shut down pornography production last month, an industry health care official said on Tuesday.
A transsexual actress who goes by the stage name Jennifer tested positive for HIV on Tuesday and had last performed a sex scene on Feb. 27 with two male actors who have since tested negative, according to Sharon Mitchell of the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation.
The foundation runs an HIV screening program that tests porn actors every three weeks for sexually transmitted diseases and issues certificates that allow them to work.
The actors involved in the latest case will be tested again to rule out any possibility of further transmission of the deadly virus, Mitchell said.
"This is an open and shut case of genealogy," she said. "We think it's contained."
Last month, HIV infections of three other porn stars prompted a 60-day shutdown of adult productions that employ 6,000 people, including about 1,200 performers. The suburban San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles is the hub of the U.S. porn industry.
Last month's HIV outbreak prompted calls for unprecedented inspections of the multibillion-dollar industry and mandatory condom use -- a proposition that critics said would drive the industry underground or out of the state.
California Assemblyman Tim Leslie, a Republican, has said the HIV outbreak showed that the industry's self-regulation measures are failing.
Leslie is promoting a bill that would require testing of actors for sexually-transmitted diseases two weeks before every film shoot. The bill, which state lawmakers were expected to approve in a committee vote on Tuesday, also would bar infected actors from performing.
Secret Service Investigates 15 Year Old High School Student's Anti-War Drawings
from www.punkvoter.com
Shockingly, big brother does not find WMD - just simply good 'ol fashioned free speech!
Secret Service agents questioned a Washington State high school student about anti-war drawings he did for his art class.
The Associated Press reported that one of the "pencil-and-ink drawing portrayed Bush as a devil launching a missile, with a caption reading ``End the war on terrorism.'' The 15-year-old boy's art teacher at Prosser High School turned the drawings over to school administrators, who notified police, who called the Secret Service."
The AP continued, "The school district disciplined him, but district officials refused to say what the punishment was."
The picture in question even called for an end to the war and this public school c