It’s a snowy morning here in the northeast, but that can;t stop the rock!
Ozzy Osbourne has filed a lawsuit against AEG, claiming that the concert agency is “blackmailing” him. The Black Sabbath singer has alleged that AEG is using a practice called “block-booking” to force him to perform at the Staples Center in Los Angeles against his wishes on his upcoming “No More Tours 2” farewell tour.
According to TMZ, Ozzy had tentatively agreed to perform at London’s O2 Arena on February 11th, 2019, but he claims that AEG added a provision stating that if Osbourne played an indoor arena within 25 miles of Los Angeles that was promoted by competitor Live Nation during the tour, he would have to play the AEG-owned Staples Center as well.
The complaint stated that this is effectively a violation of antitrust laws, explaining, “Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife and business manager, publicly complained about having to sign the Staples Center Commitment, but AEG would not relent.” Sharon shared a fiery letter last month in which she said, “Shame on AEG for bringing artists into a power struggle you’re having with your competitor, Live Nation.” She later called AEG’s actions “childish playground tactics.”
The lawsuit added that Ozzy was taking action “to prohibit AEG from enforcing the Staples Center Commitment, an unlawful tying arrangement that unfairly leverages AEG’s dominance in greater London to distort and deter competition in greater Los Angeles.” Ozzy wants a judge to invalidate the provision in his contract that forces him to perform at Staples.
Ozzy’s final world tour kicks off this spring with dates in Mexico, South America and Europe, coming to North America in August. It’s slated to last until 2020.
Linkin Park‘s charitable Music For Relief organization will become the official crisis relief program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Guitarist Brad Delson told Billboard, “My bandmates and I founded Music For Relief in the spirit of collaboration; recognizing that we could do more in partnership with others. Joining forces with EIF exemplifies the teamwork that will make both entities stronger.”
He continued, “The Entertainment Industry Foundation has the capability to activate the entertainment community around a cause, which is what we set out to achieve with Music For Relief.”
Entertainment Industry Foundation CEO Nicole Sexton said, “Music For Relief will allow EIF the capability to harness the power of the entertainment community to help make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by natural disasters around the globe.” Linkin Park started Music For Relief in 2004 after the Indian Ocean tsunami, and the charity has since raised over $11 million for disaster relief and for climate change education. Linkin Park has not officially announced whether the group intends to continuing recording and touring together, following vocalist Chester Bennington‘s suicide last July.
Guitarist Glenn Tipton rejoined his Judas Priest bandmates on stage Tuesday night (March 20th) at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey to perform the concert’s three-song encore of “Metal Gods,” “Breaking The Law” and “Living After Midnight.” Tipton took part in a signing session with the band earlier in the day at Sony Square in New York City, fueling speculation that he would perform with the band.
Tipton, who has played on every Priest album since its 1974 debut Rocka Rolla, announced several weeks ago that he was retiring from the road due to his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease. Although Tipton played on the band’s new Firepower album, he is being replaced on tour by the LP’s producer, Andy Sneap. Tipton did not rule out occasional appearances with the band on the road and insisted he would continue to be a member of Judas Priest, saying, “It’s not the end for me — I’ll still be able to write and record and on good days even join the band on stage for a few songs.”
Firepower is Priest’s 18th studio album and is earning the band some of its best reviews in years, with the song “Lightning Strike” breaking into the Top 20 at rock radio. The North American leg of the Firepower tour will wrap on May 1st in San Antonio, Texas.
Ever since AC/DC completed the tour cycle for its 2014 album Rock Or Bust nearly two years ago — a turbulent trek that weathered the forced retirement and eventual death of co-founder Malcolm Young, plus the departures of longtime singer Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams — fans have wondered whether sole founding member Angus Young would keep the band going or decide it was time for AC/DC to pack it in.
It appears he’s going to stay the course: singer Angry Anderson of the veteran Australian act Rose Tattoo said in a new interview with the Rockpit that Angus is at work on new music and intends to have Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose — who took Johnson’s place on the road in 2016 — sing on the LP.
Anderson explained, “I said to (Angus), ‘What are you going to do?’ and he said ‘Mate, I’m writing a new album.’ I asked him who was in the band and he said ‘Axl.’ Brian’s not there, Phil’s not there, Cliff’s not there, sadly, Malcolm’s not there.”
hile some fans may not be happy to see AC/DC without any of those key members, Anderson pointed out, “Yes, it’s sad that the original lineup aren’t there anymore, but it’s the songs. People who have supported them all the way through their career, they want to hear the songs.”
Johnson was forced to leave the band mid-tour due to a dangerous level of hearing loss, while Rudd was dismissed following a drug arrest and Williams decided to retire at the end of the cycle. Malcolm Young was diagnosed with dementia several years ago and bowed out before the sessions for Rock Or Bust began. He died this past November.
Angus Young has not said publicly what he has planned for the future of AC/DC. Axl Rose is still touring with Guns N’ Roses but has indicated a willingness to work with AC/DC again. It is also unknown whether Angus will keep the other members of the last touring lineup — including guitarist Stevie Young and drummer Chris Slade — or revamp the roster again.
Who allowed Courtney Love to be my nurse? Oh shit…I did. TATTOOED IN REVERSE. pic.twitter.com/difHKWnpMZ
— Marilyn Manson (@marilynmanson) March 21, 2018
Marilyn Manson has announced that Courtney Love has been cast to play a nurse in his new music video for the song “Tattooed in Reverse.” Manson wrote on Twitter, “Who allowed Courtney Love to be my nurse? Oh s**t…I did.” Manson also recently shared two new photos with Love recently, writing, “Reunited and it feels so wrong. That’s why we F**k S**t up.”
“Tattooed In Reverse” is the third single from Manson’s latest album, Heaven Upside Down. Manson and Love have been on-again, off-again friends for years, with the two occasionally taking jabs at each other online or in the press. Manson told Esquire about their relationship, “We never really had a falling out. We’ve always been weird with each other, because she’s slept with pretty much every one of my friends, supposedly. Not me, though. She, one time, told me she was mad at me because I didn’t want to f**k her and I was smarter than her. I said, ‘Well, you kind of proved your own point right there on that one.’”
Both Love and Manson appeared on the final season of the smash FX biker series Sons Of Anarchy, although they did not have any scenes together. Manson and Rob Zombie will co-headline the “Twins Of Evil: The Second Coming Tour” this summer, starting July 11th in Detroit and wrapping up on August 29th in Irvine, California.
Finally, a very Happy Birthday to Limp Bizkit drummer John Otto!
