'Lost' Actor Doug Hutchison Marries Sixteen-Year-Old Girlfriend

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'Lost' Actor Doug Hutchison Marries Sixteen-Year-Old Girlfriend

6/21/2011 11:11 AM ET

"Lost" actor Doug Hutchison (51) has married his 16-year-old girlfriend, Courtney Alexis Stodden. The couple—who have a 35-year age difference—married in Nevada on May 20. In a statement issued by Hutchinson, he noted: "We're aware that our vast age difference is extremely controversial. But we're very much in love and want to get the message out there that true love can be ageless." The actor last appeared in Fox's "Lie to Me" and previously had parts in "The Green Mile" and "The X Files."

Michael Anthony Birthday message & update

Michael Anthony Birthday message & update

Monday, 20 June 2011

It’s Michael Anthony’s birthday today! (Born June 20, 1954). Here’s an update from his “Mad Anthony” Facebook page:
“Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes! The only thing that makes my day better is that mixing on the new Chickenfoot CD is done! It’s a lot heavier than the first record and I can’t wait to get it out there! The first single should hit the airwaves sometime this summer with the full enchilada to follow in the fall. Stay tuned for all the details and we hope to see you all real soon!”
Also, Micheal Anthony was on Adam Carolla’s Carcast podcast last week. Show summary:
Adam Carolla and Sandy Ganz have special guest Michael Anthony and Brad Fanshaw of Bonspeed in the studio. They chat a bit about Van Halen, Chickenfoot, and Hot Sauce, and more Hot Sauce. At some point they steer it back to cars! Michael and Brad head up Bonspeed who supplies custom wheels, apparel and other great products. Michael brings us his Ford GT and Brad shows up in the Bonspeed 1971 El Camino. Both done up with some great looking rims!
Check out the podcast & video & photos here.

Original Mr. Big Lineup Announce First North America Tour in 13 Years

Original Mr. Big Lineup Announce First North America Tour in 13 Years

06/21/2011
. A reunited Mr. Big will be hitting the road in North America this summer in support of the band's new album, WHAT IF... The tour opens in San Diego, June 30th, and marks the first time in 13 years the original line-up of vocalist Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Pat Torpey, has toured North America!
Produced by Kevin Shirley (Aerosmith, Rush, Iron Maiden), WHAT IF...is now available as a special edition CD + DVD in digipak, regular CD, vinyl and digital download and in a limited edition luxury box including the CD, DVD, LP and exclusive memorabilia.
The DVD includes videos of "Undertow" and "All the Way Up" plus a documentary "making of" the album including interviews and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the four band members. JULY
30 San Diego, CA 4th & B
31 Agoura Hills, CA The Canyon Club
AUGUST
2 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre
4 Santa Ana, CA Galaxy Theatre
5 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
6 Modesto, CA Xclamation Festival
8 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
9 Denver, CO Summit Music Hall
12 Chicago, IL House Of Blues
13 Columbus, OH Al Rosa Villa
16 Pittsburgh, PA Trib Total Media Amphitheater
17 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
19 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom
20 Detroit, MI Harpo's
23 New York, NY BB King's
24 Foxborough, MA Showcase Live
26 N. Myrtle Beach, SC House Of Blues
27 Lake Buena Vista, FLHouse Of Blues
30 Houston, TX House Of Blues
31 Dallas, TX House Of Blues

Don Dokken Speaks Out on George Lynch

Peter Hodgson

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06.20.2011

Vocalist Don Dokken has spoken out on the abandoned plans to reunite his namesake band’s classic lineup one last time, in the face of public comments made by guitarist George Lynch, telling bravewords.com, “It has always been frustrating to try to stay away from responding to the constant character bashing towards myself from George.”
Dokken concedes that even though the chemistry became rapidly frayed, he still stands by the music the band made. “In the end we did some great records together,” Dokken said. “Some people believe our tension made our records better.”
Lynch’s latest album, Kill All Control, will be released on June 21 and includes guests Will Marten (Earshot), Marq Torien (Bulletboys) and Keith St. John (Montrose), as well as the track “Son of Scary,” a sequel to his trademark Dokken instrumental, “Mr. Scary.”

Mountain man West loses leg

Frontman Leslie recovering from amputation of lower right limb following two-day battle to save it from infection connected with diabetes

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Surgery: Leslie West

Mountain frontman Leslie West has had his lower right leg amputated after suffering an infection connected with diabetes.
Doctors spent two days trying to avoid the extreme measure – but surgery was deemed essential to keep him alive as the disease began to spread through his body.
The 65-year-old singer and guitarist was on a flight to Biloxi, Mississippi, to perform with the respected hard rock band when his leg began to swell and discolour.
On arrival he was taken to hospital where doctors identified the infection was complicated by “peripheral arterial disease and blood clotting factors.”
West’s wife Jenni says: “They tried for two days to save it, to no avail. The staff at Ocean Springs Hospital have taken excellent care of Leslie and should be called angels for their efforts and tenderness shown in this time of crisis.”
Mountain formed in 1969 and are generally regarded as a major contributor to the development of heavy metal. They split in 1972 but reformed two years later and have continued to operate since then. Drummer Corky Laing joined a year later and bassist Rev Jones has been a member since 2008.
The band played the Woodstock festival in 1969 although their performance wasn’t part of the movie made about the event. They’re known for the songs Mississippi Queen, and Nantucket Sleighride in the UK.
West has recorded a solo album, The Unusual Suspects, featuring guest appearances by Slash, Zakk Wylde, Billy Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa and Steve Lukathar. It’s set for release in the coming months.

Loverboy Performs New Single On Fox & Friends TV Show

June 19, 2011

Loverboy recently appeared on Fox & Friends to perform their new single "Heartbreaker" and the classic "Lovin' Every Minute Of It". "Heartbreaker" reunited the Canadian rockers with producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Motley Crue) and can be streamed and purchased at www.loverboyband.com.



For 30 years, Loverboy has been "Working for the Weekend," delighting audiences around the world since forming in Calgary, Alberta, when vocalist Mike Reno was introduced to local guitar hot shot Paul Dean, both veterans of several bands on the scene. And now they're back, having reunited with their original engineer, legendary producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Aerosmith, The Cure, Bon Jovi), who worked under Bruce Fairbairn at the time. The band recorded two new songs with Rock, "Heartbreaker" and "No Tomorrow," which could to be a prelude for a new album.

"He phoned Mike and me out of the blue and told us he had a song that might work for us that he'd love to produce," says Dean. "He sent it over and we just flipped out. It's a great, kick-ass Loverboy song.

"It was just fantastic to be on the same page with everybody else in the band again. We had been through several false starts recording-wise over the years. Mike was really inspired this time. It was a great experience. I think these tracks are some of the best work we've ever done."

Not just Canada's greatest rock export, Loverboy made its mark south of the border, with four multi-platinum albums including the four-million-selling Get Lucky, and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983's Keep It Up and 1985's Lovin' Every Minute of It. Their string of hits includes, in addition to the anthem "Working for the Weekend," such arena rock staples as "Lovin' Every Minute of It," "This Could Be the Night," "Hot Girls in Love," "Heaven In Your Eyes," "Turn Me Loose," "When It's Over," "Heaven In Your Eyes" and "Queen of the Broken Hearts."

Their pop culture credibility was cemented by a recent 30 Rock episode in which Scott Adsit's amateur musician Pete Hornberger revealed he was actually Loverboy's original bassist, showing him inserted into vintage '80s footage of the band wailing away on "Working for the Weekend," which you can see at http://www.hulu.com/watch/217096/30-rock-its-never-too-late-for-now.

The group still includes original members Doug Johnson on keyboards and Matt Frenette on drums, with Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve (a former member of Dean and Frenette's pre-Loverboy band Streetheart), who replaced the late Scott Smith on bass, and continues a healthy touring schedule around the world.

"I look at our concerts as a 100-minute experience," says Dean, who still claims to be able to fit into the same pair of red leather pants he wore on the "Queen of the Broken Hearts" video in 1983. "I'm a normal guy up until 10 minutes before we hit the stage. Then the heart rate goes up and I consciously step into the bubble. And I don't come out of it until 30 seconds after that last cymbal smash and I walk off-stage. It's a great stress release, better than riding a Harley."

Perhaps the band's most famous song is "Working for the Weekend," which has fueled a generation's dreams of toiling every day for the chance to celebrate come Friday night. Dean realizes it has taken on a whole new meaning these days.

"You're lucky if you can work for the weekend now," he says. "We're all fortunate to be doing that."

With four decades under his belt, Dean sees no end in sight for Loverboy... or himself.

"My dream has always been to play guitar and entertain people," he enthuses. "There's no feeling like looking out in the audience and seeing them grinning ear to ear, everyone on the same wavelength. And once we start with the megahits, the place goes crazy. That's why we do what we do and will continue."

Still "Working for the Weekend" 30 years later, Loverboy's catalog includes some of arena-rock's most enduring anthems, and they are about to add to that legacy.

Courtesy of www.sleazeroxx.com and www.loverboyband.com

AC/DC Get Their Own Board Game

AC/DC have joined a growing list of bands to get their own customised version of Monopoly.
This board game will be available from August, and up to six players can take part.
Players will be able to buy, sell or trade AC/DC albums plus international locations.
Find out more at http://www.acdc.com/

JACK BLADES DOES THE SPLITS, BUT SHOWS GO ON:

Night Ranger frontman Jack Blades has suffered a stage accident just two songs into the band's first show of it's highly anticipated European tour. Jack slipped and fell into a 'splits' position and has damaged his hamstring, which will see him confined to a stool for the remainder of the European tour. No dates will be cancelled or altered...the show much go on!
This from Jack himself: "In Switzerland now...just finished our show. I slipped on something onstage in Hannover - the first show and literally did the splits...heard a rip and couldn't get up...Brad had to pull me up. This happened on the second song...Did the rest of the set on a drum stool. I was rushed to hospital right after our show. Thank goodness I didn't tear it, just severely pulled my hamstring muscle. Still doing shows but on a stool...such a bummer for me cause we haven't been here since 1985...oh well...Band still rocking. Day off tomorrow in Milan then show Tuesday there." ~ JB.

Weekend Report: 'Green Lantern' Not the Brightest Bulb

by Brandon Gray

Green Lantern

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June 19, 2011

This weekend, Green Lantern's light was more red than green, but the comic book adaptation still drew an estimated $52.7 million on approximately 7,200 screens at 3,816 locations.

Green Lantern's start landed behind X-Men: First Class's $55.1 million and Thor's $65.7 million, and its Friday-to-Saturday drop of 22 percent was steeper than those movies' eight percent. The gross was also less than The Incredible Hulk and the two Fantastic Four movies, and the attendance disparity was only greater. Green Lantern's estimated attendance was even lower than Daredevil and Ghost Rider.

Green Lantern continued the tradition of B-list superheroes failing to soar to blockbuster heights (with the exception of Iron Man), despite an enormous marketing push that tried to pound people into submission. But an onslaught of ads is not necessarily the same thing as an effective campaign. The bottom line is that Green Lantern simply didn't have that appealing of a premise with its distancing sci-fi fantasy angle, and no amount of ads could make it look less awkward.

3D presentations at 2,711 locations accounted for 45 percent of Green Lantern's gross. The 3D share was close to Kung Fu Panda 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides but down from Thor's 60 percent. Distributor Warner Bros.' exit polling indicated that 64 percent of Green Lantern's audience was male and 63 percent was over 25 years old (19 percent was under 18).

In second place, Super 8 had a decent hold, retreating 40 percent to an estimated $21.3 million (it has a bullish projection for Father's Day) for a District 9-matching $72.8 million haul in ten days. Its percentage drop was much smaller than District 9, Battle: Los Angeles and Cloverfield among others and was on par with Knowing.

Mr. Popper's Penguins slid in to third with an estimated $18.2 million on around 4,200 screens at 3,339 locations. That was tepid for a Jim Carrey comedy or family vehicle and was in the same range as Surf's Up. Distributor 20th Century Fox's research showed that 56 percent of Mr. Popper's audience was female and 58 percent was under 25 years old.

X-Men: First Class ranked fourth with an estimated $11.5 million, which was the lowest-grossing third weekend yet for an X-Men movie. The reboot prequel's tally climbed to $119.9 million in 17 days, also the lowest of the series.

The Hangover Part II rounded out the Top Five with an estimated $9.6 million, off 45 percent for a $232.7 million tally in 25 days. It was followed by Kung Fu Panda 2, which was down a distressing 47 percent to an estimated $8.7 million for a $143.3 million total, also in 25 days.

Midnight in Paris saw the smallest decline among nationwide releases after a slight expansion. The Woody Allen comedy eased ten percent to an estimated $5.2 million, increasing its sum to $21.8 million in 31 days. While usually the best holder on a given weekend, Bridesmaids was the bridesmaid this time, though the comedy was down only 26 percent to an estimated $7.5 million for a stellar $136.8 million total in 38 days.

Meanwhile, The Art of Getting By didn't get by, making a mere estimated $700,000 in its debut at 610 locations. The Tree of Life expanded to 114 locations and made more, coming in at an estimated $1.1 million for a $3.85 million sum in 24 days, but it's no Midnight in Paris.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd News!

With the new record from The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, How I Go, coming on August 2, the band has announced its first round of tour dates. Their extensive schedule in support of How I Go begins on July 29 in San Diego, with dates booked through September 9 in Morristown, NJ. More shows will be announced soon.

‘No Brown M&Ms’: Top Ten Tour Riders of the Stars

 

 

Peter Hodgson

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06.16.2011

Life on the road is hard. You're away from your loved ones, your neighborhood and all your stuff! When you're far from home for so long, little familiarities backstage can be the only link to home and normal life that you have, so bands can be forgiven for requesting the occasional unusual or specific comfort item - anything to bring some sanity to those weeks or months away. Backstage riders – the contract document that spells out a band’s backstage requirements – are notorious for diva-like demands, but when you get to the heart of it, most rider requests are just about making the artist feel a little more at home.

10. Ted NugentTed Nugent's 2002 rider stipulates that the tour is very environmentally conscious, and as such, no Styrofoam or polystyrene cups, plates or containers are to be used. Catering requirements include one box of MAN SIZED KLEENEX (yes, it’s written in uppercase in the rider for emphasis), and although the Nuge requests a carving knife, carving fork and cutting board for roasted chicken, that chicken is to be supplied by the concert booker rather than caught by Ted's own bare hands.

9. John Mayer TrioAside from requesting a wide variety of oral hygiene products and a box of children's breakfast cereal (one probably being related to the other), the 2005 John Mayer Trio tour rider clearly sets out Mayer's audience audio taping policy: let the audience have at it! Tapers are allowed to record the entire performance as long as they're not obstructing the view of other concertgoers (and even if they are, they are asked nicely to lower their tripod microphones or move to another area). The rider also advises that there is no barricade for the show, as the crowd is “very well behaved,” and suggests where to deposit small gifts and notes left by fans. Awww.

8. David BowieDavid Bowie's backstage food requirements appear quite minimal (although one imagines the elegant Mr. Bowie dining in the finest of gourmet establishments around town and looking super-cool while doing so, rather than tucking into a sweaty tray of deli meets backstage). It seems his main stipulation is a 12-cup Mr. Coffee machine. Temperatures are to be kept at a chilly 14-18 degrees Celsius in dressing rooms, which are to be stocked with rugs, sofas and dimmable lighting.

7. Black SabbathOn the 2001 Ozzfest tour, Ozzy Osbourne kept a semblance of home life around him in amongst the excitement of a reunited Black Sabbath, via a dedicated Osbourne Family dressing room in addition to his own. The family room was stocked with candy bars, ice cream, veggie soup and various beverages and, more importantly for family man Ozzy, little Osbournes.

6. MetallicaThe reigning kings of thrash metal insisted in 2004 that bacon be available at every meal and throughout the day. Interestingly, although Metallica are famous for jamming and writing in their tuning room prior to performances, their tuning room requirements are quite humble: four padded folding chairs with no arms, and three separate electrical outlets. Not even so much as a dimmable desk lamp in terms of ambience.

5. Bret MichaelsThe Poison front man's rider from his 2010 solo Roses & Thorns tour reiterated that his name was to be spelled “Bret Michaels” on promotional materials, not Brett (or, presumably, Bert Miracles, a common nickname among fans on certain online message boards). The rider also points out Mr. Michaels' views on soft drinks, stating in no uncertain terms that that Sprite “is no substitute for Mountain Dew.”

4. RushIn the Beyond The Lighted Stage documentary, the members of Rush talk of their excitement when they first realized they could order alcoholic beverages to be provided backstage by the promoter. Guitarist Alex Lifeson is even pictured posing proudly with a case of Heineken. Lifeson's love of a Heiney must have waned over the years, because by 1990 the rider specifically stated “absolutely no Heineken,” while outlining a selection of fine liquors to provide for the band.

3. Foo FightersFoo Fighters riders are notoriously entertaining to read. The band once famously requested a variety of 'stinky cheeses.' They also request Gatorade in 'wacky colors,’ and their taste in DVDs is relatively broad - with the exception of no Jamie Kennedy, Martin Lawrence or sports movies. A vegetarian soup of the day is requested because "meaty soups make roadies fart." Moreover, the Foo Fighters rider sums up the importance of the document in maintaining a sense of continuity for the band: "The silly items like gum and candy bars make a difference to these boys that are far from their families and friends."

2. Iggy PopFor an Iggy And The Stooges tour, requirements included a monitor engineer who is "not afraid of death," as well as instructions from backline/stage manager Jos Grain for camera crews filming the show as unobtrusively as possible: "At a wet festival somewhere I once saw a guitarist being followed all over the stage by a cameraman and sidekick all covered, in bright fluorescent plastic sheeting, including the camera It looked like he was being stalked by a demented pantomime horse! I personally thought it looked absolutely terrible, and I speak as someone who believes that most rock and roll bands would be improved by the introduction of a pantomime horse." Grain goes on to warn that "Iggy adores breaking cameras, so really it's best not to get too close to him. Of course, I will be on hand to try and prevent him from destroying your equipment; unfortunately, there is only one person I can think of who likes to break cameras more than he does, and that's me."

1. Van HalenBy far and away the most legendary concert rider requirement was Van Halen's 1982 request for a bowl of M&Ms with the brown ones removed. Far from a mere flaunting of ego, this was actually a clever trick planted within the rider to raise a red flag if the staging requirements had been ignored by local crew. As David Lee Roth explained in his autobiography Crazy From The Heat, if brown M&Ms were found in the backstage area, it would be a good bet that some important technical aspect of the contract had also been overlooked (although a glance at the actual document casts doubt on Dave's story that the M&M requirement was placed amongst the staging schematics - it was actually within the catering menu between the pretzels and the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups).

More riders can be seen at thesmokinggun.com

Soundgarden take it heavy

Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil gives an update from the studio: “The vibe of the songs is definitely very heavy”

Reported by Bruce Henne

Published: June 20, 2011. © Rock AAA.

Soundgarden: Kids in a candy shop

Soundgarden are getting set for their month-long North American summer tour, which kicks off July 2 in Toronto.
The live dates give the band a break from the studio, as the reunited unit continues work on new music.
“Well, our interest is in being a vital band,” guitarist Kim Thayil tells Stereogum.
“We want to write songs and record them. We’re still like kids in a candy shop when it comes to writing songs and hearing them recorded. It’s funny; once again [drummer] Matt [Cameron] is really the person who seems to be driving us forward with all this. He’s very enthusiastic and eager, which really motivates all of us. We’re all really excited. Being creative is far more satisfying than just playing the old songs. It’s been very natural. We just started jamming and it very gradually and naturally progressed.”
Thayil reports that the recording sessions are going really well:
“We’re recording. We’re kind of doing it in stages.
“We have about 14 songs in various stages of completion. Previously, we’d just block out a bunch of time and go and track everything at once, but we can’t really do that right now. Matt has commitments to Pearl Jam, Chris [Cornell] has a solo tour happening and Soundgarden is touring in July.
“So we do the studio thing around those other engagements, which actually is turning out to be a lot better for us. It takes the pressure off in some ways. It’s not like, OK you’ve got three weeks and everything needs to get done in those three weeks. We can work at our own pace and take things one step at a time. We’re really enjoying it. We don’t have a record company or management pressuring us to hurry up, so we can really savor the process this time.”
It’s still early in the project, but Thayil shares his thoughts on the new material.
“The vibe of the songs is definitely very heavy,” says the guitarist.
“We’ve always tried to explore how to make this really heavy, aggressive music without sounding like a bunch of knuckle-dragging meatheads. I think these songs are kind of exploring that idea. Ways of emoting aggression and anger and hostility in ways that feel new.
“You know, we never were really chipper guys. We were never the party band, or even a particularly social band. We were always really just hard workers and a kind of musician’s band. That’s what we wanted to be that. We wanted to play for an audience that reminded us of ourselves back when we were young, I always liked the idea that our fans were that guy or girl who collected records and wanted to start a band of their own and play good music.
“I always imagined we were the band that made the party end. Like, ok guys it’s time to leave now, someone just put on Superunknown! I always felt like we made music that was good for driving, good for listening to really loud. The new songs sound really heavy. I’ll just say that.”
And Soundgarden aren’t letting the grass grow beneath their feet
“Touring next month, finishing our record sooner rather than later,” Kim explains. “You know, it just feels good to be doing this stuff. I like the idea that we’ve all come back together to tie up the loose ends and sort of attend to our legacy, such as it is. We want to see that our back catalog is treated with care, that our fans aren’t ripped off, and we want to make really vital, creative, excellent new music together.”
“Also, as the sort of unofficial custodian of the Soundgarden archives, I want to make sure that our unreleased material is handled in the right way,” adds Thayil.
“It really bums me out to think about all the material that never got released by Nirvana. They were one of my favorite bands ever — a band that felt like our little brothers and were simultaneously our peers and also an incredible influence on us. To think that there was all this unfinished work that can’t be shared and people will never hear, it’s just a shame.
“It really makes me want to do the right thing with Soundgarden. It makes me thankful to be in a band. For a long time I just didn’t want to think about record contracts and managers and publishing—I just wanted to jam with my friends and drink some beer and enjoy my life. But it feels good to be doing this again. I think we all feel that way.”

Adele Dominates The Billboard Charts This Week

6/18/2011 1:36 PM ET

(RTTNews) - Adele once again reigns supreme at Billboard this week. The British singer took the top spot on the both the Hot 100 singles chart and the Billboard 200 album chart. Adele's current single "Rolling in the Deep" has held on for sixth straight week atop the Hot 100.

The track is included on her sophomore release, 21, which reclaimed the number-one position, climbing back up from number two. This week "Rolling in the Deep" held off a continued push from Pitbull's "Give Me Everything" and Party Rock Anthem's "LMFAO," which tagged in at numbers two and three, respectively.
On the 200 chart, Adele reclaimed the number-one position from Lady Gaga, whose highly-anticipated new album Born This Way was in the top spot last week. The soundtrack to Trey Parker and Matt Stone's Broadway music The Book of Mormon came in at number three this week.
Tech N9ne's All 6's & 7's took the forth spot and country crooner Ronnie Dunn's solo self-title solo release came in fifth this week.

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NFL OWNERS/PLAYERS MAY SOON HAVE A DEAL

NEW YORK (AP)—Reaching a labor deal soon is hardly a done deal in the NFL.
Team owners will be updated on recent negotiations with the players when they meet in Chicago on Tuesday. They’ve been told to prepare to stay an extra day because of the complexity of the proposals both sides have discussed in sessions over the last three weeks.
Getting the required 24 of 32 owners to agree on anything can be difficult, let alone something as complex as a new collective bargaining agreement. And there has been enough pushback from owners familiar with those proposals that progress made recently might not lead to an agreement in the next few weeks.

Related Coverage

Still, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations, the faction of unhappy owners that exists isn’t yet large enough to derail an agreement. That could lead to some heavy lobbying in Chicago at the first owners’ meeting specifically scheduled to deal with the lockout.
The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because details of the negotiations are not supposed to be made public, said a new CBA is not imminent.
Owners, Commissioner Roger Goodell and lead negotiator Jeff Pash have been silent about recent developments, citing an agreement with U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan not to discuss mediated talks. Players association chief DeMaurice Smith and several players on hand for the negotiations also have avoided comment.
Earlier this week, Goodell responded to a letter he and Smith received from two Congressmen calling for the NFL to adopt a “thorough testing program for HGH.”
Goodell said in his reply dated June 13 that testing for HGH “is a critical element of an effective and credible drug testing program” and the league is insisting on “immediate implementation of HGH testing” in the negotiations.
Whether or not such a provision makes it into the CBA, it’s clear that deadlines are approaching. Training camps normally would open in about five weeks, and any lengthy delays in striking a deal will endanger them and the preseason. The first preseason game is at the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions; the Bears and Rams are scheduled to play Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio.
“I know that we’ve been talking pretty extensively over the last few weeks,” said Saints quarterback Drew Brees(notes), one of 10 players on an antitrust suit brought against the league on March 11, hours before the lockout began. “It seems like things are moving in the right direction, which is very positive. It’s what we always hoped for as players because obviously we’re getting to crunch time here. We’re nearing July and there’s a lot of work that needs to be done (footballwise) between now and when the season will start, and obviously we’d love to have a settlement in place.”
One item of contention likely is the minimum teams can spend on salaries each year and how it is determined, a key for small-market franchises such as Buffalo, Jacksonville and Cincinnati.
Under rules of the previous CBA negotiated in 2006—owners opted out in 2008—teams were allowed to spread guaranteed signing bonuses over the duration of a contract. That reduced the salary cap hit each year.
The Bills, however, preferred to count bonuses as dollars spent for each specific season no matter the contract’s length, so their payroll essentially was limited to all the salaries on their books for that one season—including potential bonuses and salaries owed to players that had been cut or bought out.
Whether teams would have that kind of flexibility in the next CBA is important to the lower-revenue franchises.
Until now, the owners have appeared unified, from when they opted out to when they locked out. But as negotiations have ramped up, a faction of owners skeptical about the dynamics of a new deal has appeared. That will make next week’s owners’ meetings critical as July approaches.
AP Sports Writers John Wawrow in Buffalo and Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this story.

U2, Bon Jovi Cake Up On Forbes Highest-Paid Musicians List

Gaga comes in at #4 with $168 mil for the year, while Bieber is the youngest artist on the list.

Forbes released their 2011 World's Highest-Paid Musicians List on Wednesday, and apparently it still pays to be a veteran rocker — and it pays handsomely. U2 topped the list, raking in more than $195 million after their two-year 360 Tour grossed around $700 million, leapfrogging the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour as the richest run of all time.
Bon Jovi can't be too upset at snagging the list's runner-up spot. The group caked up $125 million in the last year. In a recent interview with Forbes, Jon Bon Jovi recalled the band's early, more humble and less lucrative days jamming in a New Jersey basement with vintage posters on the wall illuminated by candles. "I'm thinking maybe this is an issue, maybe I just don't like them," he said. "Until I realized that all the oxygen was sucked out of the room by the candles ... So I blew out the candles, cranked up the amplifiers and said, 'We're going to be a rock band. If you believe in what I'm telling you, we can be the Rolling Stones."
You'd think that Bon Jovi gave a similar speech to Lady Gaga with all the bank that she acquired this year. Coming behind Elton John ($204 million), who landed at #3, Gaga earned $168 million in the past year and would've made more had she been more frugal with the costs of her stage show — then again she's been known to spare little expense when it comes to pleasing her fans.
Paul McCartney, 68, was the oldest artist to make the list, clocking $66 mil, while 17-year-old Justin Bieber was the youngest to make the list with $53 million. Jay-Z and Beyoncé were the only couple to make the list. In fact, for the first time since being married, Hov earned more than his wife, taking home $37 million, while B earned $35 mil. All of the calculated earnings are based off pretax income earned from May 2010 to May 2011, before agents and managers take their cuts, according to Forbes.com.

Motley Crue triumphs in Sold-Out Hollywood Bowl homecoming show.

Motley Crue triumphs in Sold-Out Hollywood Bowl homecoming show. Nikki Sixx & Mick Mars of Motley Crue - Live @ Hollywood Bowl The following was written by rock critic Gerry Gittelson on his personal Facebook June 16th. The post was in response to his article (found below) on the Motley Crue/Poison homecoming concert at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this week. "Being a rock critic is not all it's cracked up to be: For 25 years I've supported the band Poison more passionately than just about any journalist in the world, and I never received a single thank you. Then, I wrote Wednesday in the Los AngelesDAILY NEWS that Motley Crue outperformed them in concert -- and drummer Rikki Rockett sent me a message telling me to fuck off." Gerry Gittelson - Facebook Concert review: Motley Crue triumphs in sold-out homecoming at Hollywood Bowl By Gerry Gittelson Motley Crue never gets enough credit in the grand scheme, but the band's place in rock history was secured Tuesday with a mesmerizing homecoming concert at the Hollywood Bowl in a 30th anniversary celebration before a sold-out crowd of 18,000 screaming spectators. The Doors. Van Halen. Guns N' Roses. Motley Crue. There aren't many others from Los Angeles who've had such an exceptional impact, and even though new rock is dead on popular radio stations and MTV, Motley Crue can keep on playing the old stuff for a long time because massive crowds eat up every moment. The one slight against Motley Crue through the years -- besides their wild lifestyles -- has been their inconsistency as a live act. Sometimes Vince Neil sings great, other times he skips a lot of words and comes within in an inch or so of making a fool of himself. But at the Hollywood Bowl, the band was really on, opening with a torrid version of "Wild Side" that instantly proved the group was taking things seriously on this go. Looking fit and trim, Neil owned the massive stage, singing loud and clear and enjoying the moment, as smoke billowed, pyrotechnic flashes exploded, a light show dazzled, and of course a couple of hot, half-dressed female backup singers shook their stuff. This time, "Home Sweet Home," the 1985 power ballad that is arguably the biggest song in MTV history, came early, only about 25 minutes into the set. It gave drummer Tommy Lee a chance to say a big hello before sitting down at the keys for the song's unmistakable piano intro -- and a ready and willing Neil really nailed this one. The architect of the band, bassist Nikki Sixx, could do wrong, as usual, and guitarist Mick Mars, who has spine issues, hung tough and did not miss a note. Cee Lo Green even came out to help on "Don't Go Away Mad," and then it was time for Lee's drum solo that included a high-tech drum kit fastened to a huge circular track so he could ride in circles. The hits kept coming -- "Looks That Kill," "Dr. Feelgood," "Too Young to Fall in Love," "Girls, Girls, Girls," "Smokin' in the Boys Room" and "Kickstart My Heart." CC DeVille & Bobby Dall of Poison @ Hollywood Bowl. One thing for sure: Motley Crue really kicked ass over opener Poison, a popular Los Angeles hard-rock band in its own right that has often headlined arenas through the years. Of course, much of Poison's long-lasting success can be attributed to singer Bret Michaels' reality TV show "Rock of Love." Michaels' voice sounded tour-strained, and in a lot of ways Poison is just as they were in the beginning -- a bit rough around the edges and perhaps even un-rehearsed if not downright sloppy. Guitarist C.C. DeVille is probably the one guy in the band with real talent, but Michaels has proved it's sometimes OK for a rock band to have more teeth in their smiles than in their songs. This was probably the last Poison show you'll ever see in the Los Angeles. There is talk of infighting between the members, and it would be no surprise if Michaels forges ahead as a solo performer only. Gerry Gittleson can be contacted at Gspot@MetalSludge .Tv

KELLY KEAGY AND JONATHAN CAIN TALK TO ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK:

Ultimate Classic Rock (www.ultimateclassicrock.com) is now featuring recent interviews with Journey's Jonathan Cain and Night Ranger's Kelly Keagy. Previews of the interviews below:

Kelly Keagy -
What was it like having Nugent in studio with Night Ranger?
Oh man, it was such a blast with Ted. The surprise in Coming of Age was that we were talking with him about coming in and playing the original solo on Coming of Age. But then we said well, what if we broke into Stranglehold and you played some of the solo from Stranglehold?� He was like oh, are you kidding!� So we recorded it one day and right where the normal solo starts in Coming of Age is where Stranglehold comes in. We just sat there and said play as long as you want, we don't care how long the solo is, it's not about how long the song is, just take it and run with it.� He was so all over it, we had a great time with Ted.
You were almost a part of Damn Yankees for the aborted third album that they were working on. How did you get into that mix? It had to be exciting for you working with that particular line-up which also included Damon Johnson of Brother Cane.
That was really fun. We rehearsed for like 10 days, it was Ted, Damon, myself and Jack, it came about that Tommy had gone back to Styx and wasn't available. So there was this idea from John Kalodner to put another version of Damn Yankees together. So we came up here to see if we could do it, you know? The songs were written and we rehearsed it, but then when they got ready to actually record a record, it turns out that contractually, they had to have some of the original members back in the band, so I didn't get a chance to record with them.
Nothing was ever recorded?
They did a cover of Sunshine of Your Love and I got to do that and sing it as well. It never got released, so I'd sure like to hear what happened with that. There was a lot of strange things � the producer wasn't quite right for these types of projects and also timing, everybody was getting ready to go back on the road with their respective projects, so it didn't happen. But I was able to sit in the room and jam with these guys for 10 days, so I was happy as hell.
Complete interview is here: ultimateclassicrock.com/night-ranger-kelly-keagy-interview/

Jonathan Cain shares plenty of details and thoughts on the new Journey album 'Eclipse' and reveals his love for the music of Bruce Springsteen and Blind Faith. Regarding 'Eclipse,' Cain discussed the band's "rock" direction on the new album and also addressed the reported tension between the band and Kevin Shirley:
You've mentioned the rock thing a couple of times. Journey fans have been asking for rock albums from the band for a while, and you've really given them that now.
Yeah, we sort of teased them with (2008's) Revelation, and this is more of a concept album, if you will. We went a little deeper with a message on this one. I think the Tantra thing is something we tripped on. We were like wow, this is what the world needs to think about.
Anytime you can get the chance to take a look your soul and how you relate to Gods universe, that's heavy stuff. But it's done in such a way that this is what we discovered about life in general. I just really feel that an ancient belief like that works in today's world. In the age of streaming media, when everything's flying at the speed of sound, you gotta slow down and smell the roses, really. And that's kind of what we're saying here. The beauty in that blue sky is in your heart, so you can find it if you look for it. It's right in front of you.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the whole day-to-day grind that we forget the perfection that we live in, and we live around, and I just think that's a good message right now. For Journey to be bringing it, and with Arnel being a Buddhist, it all just lines up perfectly.
In a world where so many people have moved past the importance of album art, it really had to be fun for you guys to work on the art for this new album, which really is a classic Journey album cover.
Oh, it's great. Here in Europe, we actually have vinyl. There's a vinyl release out [of 'Eclipse'] and it's just gorgeous to see it again. And you're like you know what? We gotta do this in the States.� So were planning on trying to bring that vinyl somewhere and distribute it, maybe 5000 copies and just put em out there. Because we feel it goes back to that and that's where we came from, that's our heritage. So now we become the alternative. [Laughs]
Have you gotten sucked back into vinyl?
I have been playing vinyl, a lot of my old albums and for my kids, because I want them [to hear the right stuff]. My sons got all the Zeppelin stuff, and he's amazed at how different it sounds. I actually do have a turntable in my studio, I've always had my turntable. [Laughs] I still play those Steely Dan records and marvel at wow, what is it about the sound that's so cool? Its just something else to trip on.
The complete interview with Cain: ultimateclassicrock.com/journey-jonathan-cain-interview/

Offbeat 'Our Idiot Brother' Trailer Shows Winning Role For Paul Rudd

6/16/2011 3:25 PM ET

 

Tacked onto the very end of the summer release schedule is "Our Idiot Brother," a goofy comedy starring Paul Rudd as a happy-go-lucky stoner who becomes a burden on his sisters after a brief stint in prison. The full-length theatrical trailer has plenty of pot jokes and childish antics from Rudd juxtaposed with the buttoned down life of the sisters forced to take him in.
As Rudd's character tries to find a way to fit into the normal world, we see the potential for a warm-hearted message at the end of the chaos, which is par for the course for a mainstream comedy. Rudd typically plays second fiddle in a variety of goofball comedies, from "Knocked Up" to "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," making "Our Idiot Brother" the perfect opportunity for him to be the frontrunner.
http://www.ouridiotbrother.com/
Box office outlook:
Currently without a rating, a lot will depend on whether or not "Our Idiot Brother" ends up with an R or a PG-13. With a few pot jokes in the trailer, it seems that an R-rating is likely, which could make it difficult for "Our Idiot Brother" to have mainstream success with a release at the end of August.
Paul Rudd has been in plenty of popular comedies, but he hasn't received top billing very often and it's unclear how much of a comedic draw he is capable of being.
Also in the cast are Steve Coogan, Elizabeth Banks and Rashida Jones, providing a solid cast of familiar faces for comedy audiences. This one has limited commercial appeal, though good early reviews could propel it to a decent, under-the-radar box office run.