Pearl Jam guitarist lobbies lawmakers for restroom access

As the lead guitarist for Seattle rock band Pearl Jam, Mike McCready has toured the world, won a Grammy and performed with the Rolling Stones. But as McCready knows, there are some things fame can’t get you. And sometimes, that means getting to a restroom in time.

McCready suffers from Crohn’s disease, a painful gastrointestinal disorder that can make finding restrooms an extremely urgent and embarrassing task. On Thursday, he asked Washington state lawmakers to mandate emergency access to businesses’ private restrooms for sufferers of Crohn’s and related disorders.

“Imagine the worst diarrhea you’ve ever had, and then times it by 10, with a knife in it,” McCready said after testifying before a legislative committee. “You have maybe a half-a-second to find out where a bathroom is.”

The proposal would require retailers without public restrooms to allow people with inflammatory bowel diseases to use employee restrooms, provided an identification card or a letter from a doctor or nurse is shown.

There would be some exceptions for small businesses, but if the bill becomes law, those who refuse to open up their restrooms to qualified people could eventually be fined $100.

Illinois, Michigan and Texas have passed similar laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Marko Liias, D-Mukilteo, said the idea came from a constituent with Crohn’s disease. Statistics show nearly 30,000 people in Washington are affected by inflammatory bowel disease, Liias said.

“In general, as a society, we are loath to talk about the restroom and going to the restroom,” Liias said. “For many people, the simple act of going to the restroom can be an excruciating experience.”

McCready said his Crohn’s attacks often happen at the most inopportune moments.

“I was in the middle of a solo and it hit, and I can’t go anywhere because I’m playing in front of 20,000 people,” McCready told The Associated Press after he testified. “So I just let go. I went back stage and cleaned up, because the show must go on.”

Another attack happened just before McCready took the stage during a Pearl Jam-Rolling Stones concert, leaving him rushing for a portable toilet.

Pearl Jam made its name in the early 1990s, part of an explosion of grunge rock acts that helped put Seattle on the map.

The band also is known for publicly fighting ticket-sales giant Ticketmaster, but McCready said he was still nervous testifying at the state House Judiciary Committee.

Officials from bank and restaurant associations raised some concerns about the proposed law.

Washington Restaurant Association lobbyist Michael Transue said allowing members of the public with inflammatory bowel diseases to use employee restrooms could create safety issues, particularly if they had to travel through busy kitchens during peak business hours.

“We’re very sympathetic to the issue presented,” Transue said. “To allow folks in these situations to use our employee restrooms is the humane and compassionate thing to do … that said, imposing mandatory requirements” is not fair to businesses.

McCready said a law is needed because many businesses are insensitive to the needs of people who have diseases like Crohn’s. He said there are a number of businesses he won’t patronize because they’ve denied him emergency restroom access.

Over the past 20 years he estimates that he’s had “hundreds” of accidents. But while Crohn’s disease has been a public embarrassment for him, he said officials should remember the everyday people who suffer with similar disorders.

“I’m 42 years old. I’m doing fine,” he said. “But when you’re 13 or 14 and you’re going through those years with the shame and indignation — it’s embarrassing.”

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, said the bill will likely be passed out of his committee.

source: Seattle Times

Opeth Announce US Headline Tour

Swedish metal titans, Opeth, announce US headline tour to begin in May. The tour will be sponsored by Decibel Magazine and Enslaved are confirmed to support.

Tour routing is as follows:

01 May New Jersey @ Starland Ballroom
02 May Boston MA @ House of Blues
03 May Montreal @ Medley
04 May Toronto ON @ Sound Academy
05 May Pittsburgh PA @ Mr. Smalls
06 May Chicago IL @ House of Blues
08 May Omaha NE @ Sokol Auditorium
09 May Boulder, CO @ Fox Theater
11 May Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
12 May Portland OR @ Roseland Theater
13 May Chico, CA @ Senator Theater
14 May San Francisco, CA @ Grand Ballroom
15 May Pomona, CA @ Glasshouse
16 May Los Angeles CA @ Avalon or Henry Fonda Theater
17 May Tucson AZ @ Rialto Theater
19 May San Antonio, TX @ Scout Bar
20 May Oklahoma City OK @ Diamond Ballroom
21 May Memphis TN @ New Daisy Theater
22 May Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theater
23 May Columbus OH @ Newport Music Hall
24 May Detroit, MI @ Emerald Theater or Clutch Cargos
26 May New York, NY @ Grand Ballroom @ the Manhatten Center
27 May Washington DC @ 930 Club

Chinese Democracy Scrapes Bottom Of The Charts

It’s been a while since we checked in on Chinese Democracy’s progress on the charts. And in a few more weeks, we might need a microscope to find it: after nine weeks of release, Guns N’ Roses’ much-ballyhooed CD has sunk to number 75 on the US SoundScan chart.

In fact, since last week, the album’s missle-like descent accelerated, dropping 24 places and selling a paltry 7,176 copies. Its two-month total is 530,462 units - good enough for gold status, but hardly the blockbuster it was expected to be.

As of yet, Axl Rose hasn’t appeared in public to promote the album; he’s granted no formal interviews and, despite late-December rumors, has no tour on the books.

Perhaps he’s in no hurry. After all, he did wait 15 years to release Chinese Democracy. And with all things being relative, the album will certainly recoup…in 1,944 weeks.

Rock still sells - for some

Some have opined that Chinese Democracy’s dismal showing underscores the decline of rock music as a sales force. Go tell that to AC/DC: The veteran band sold a whopping 784,000 copies of Black Ice in its first week of release in the US. Its 14-week total stands at 1,969,603, which indicates the set will go double platinumby Valentine’s Day.

So while AC/DC are breaking out the chocolates and champagne on a sold-out tour, Axl is holed up in his Hollywood home, circling his computer, psyching himself up for another ‘interview’ on a GN’R fan site.

U2 album artwork branded ‘rip off’

American musician and label owner Taylor Deupree has accused U2 of copying one of his album covers for their new record.

Specification. Fifteen’. Both covers are based on a photograph by Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto.

Deupree posted a “rant” on 12kblog entitled ‘U2 Album Cover…Have I Seen This Before?‘, attacking U2 for not researching their cover properly.

“U2’s forthcoming album ‘No Line On The Horizon’ is nearly an exact rip-off of mine and Richard Chartier’s ‘Specification. Fifteen’, which came out a couple of years ago,” Deupree wrote.

However, a further post by Deupree said that he doesn’t think the argument should become a legal matter.

“This minor ordeal has become more a question of a project that was small, intimate and experimental (and the chance of a lifetime for a small artist) versus the massive pop culture machine,” he wrote. “In the end, we all know who wins.”

POWERMAN 5000: Previews 3 New Tracks

Powerman 5000 has posted a three-track preview of some of the band’s new material on the group’s MySpace page. Go here to check out a medley of the songs “Super Villain”, “V Is For Vampire” and “Horror Show”.

Powerman 5000 in 2007 parted ways with guitarists Johnny Heatley and Terry Corso and replaced them with Evan Rodaniche and Dave Pino.

The band’s latest album, “Destroy What You Enjoy”, was produced by Mudrock (Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack), who also co-produced Powerman 5000’s major label debut, “Mega!! Kung Fu Radio”. The CD was recorded at the Hobby Shop in Eagle Rock, California and was mixed by Dave Schiffman (Audioslave, Johnny Cash, System of a Down).

Smashing Pumpkins Super Bowl ad bumped

Reports spread yesterday that a new Smashing Pumpkins track, FOL, was set to be aired as part of a Hyundai car commercial directly before the kick off of Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday 1 February.

However, it now seems that Hyundai have moved the advert to a less costly slot during the pre-game build up.

Pumpkins fan blog Hipsters United first unearthed the story on 27 January, but this morning, Idolator reports that the tough financial climate has forced Hyundai to reconsider the marketing spend on its new sports coupe, the Genesis.

Notably, Pumpkins mainman Billy Corgan seems to have changed his stance with regard to the use of his music in commercial advertising. Back in 1993, the band were rumoured to have resisted an approach from Levi’s to use their breakthrough single Today in an advertising campaign.

As recently as March 2008, Corgan sued Virgin Records over the label’s unauthorised licensing of his band’s music to Pepsi for a promotion. At the time, Corgan cited “this kind of crass commercialism and exploitation” as undermining the “message of honesty, artistic integrity and alternative non-mainstream culture” that the Smashing Pumpkins had spent a career crafting.

Metallica Wants No Drama At Rock Hall Induction

After it was announced last week that Metallica would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame alongside Run-DMC, Jeff Beck, Bobby Womack and Little Anthony and the Imperials, the band spoke to the press about their achievement.

At a press conference that aired on the Fuse network, singer James Hetfield said that “Life is good in Metallica right now, a lot of good things are happening - quite opposite of what they were around the St. Anger time. All the work and effort that we put into our relationship back then has brought a lot of fruits of labor with that, this album Death Magnetic, the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, Grammy nominations, so we’re feeling good.”

He also discussed who should have the honor of inducting the band at the April 4 ceremony in Cleveland.

“I think that’s an ongoing discussion,” he said. “It’s between who people actually know and care about, who actually respects you as a band… You don’t want just some popular guy who’s attracting TV viewers to induct you just because of that.”

Of course, many fans want to know if bassist Jason Newsted will also be invited to the ceremony, considering that he was involved in a pivotal era of Metallica from 1986 to 2001.

“There’s been an invite put out, no doubt,” Hetfield assured. “We want everyone to celebrate  everyone who’s been a part of it. Jason has been a big part of that. We don’t want to see the drama of, unfortunately, Blondie or Sex Pistols or Van Halen. It’s ridiculous. This is Metallica’s moment,  along with others,  but let’s celebrate. Let’s forget the crap.”

Guitarist Kirk Hammett also commented, “Jeff Beck is one of my heroes and has been ever since I picked up a guitar. I’m looking forward to playing some guitar with him at some point.”

The April induction ceremony will be broadcast live on Fuse. And for the first time in its 24-year history, tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be available to the public.

32 LEAVES POST NEW TRACK

Phoenix’s 32 Leaves just poste​d track​ 8 from their soon to be released sophomore effort titled “​Panor​amic”.

The song is “​Human​”​ can be heard here

Conflicting statements in Godsmack singer’s crash

Conflicting statements have been made in the chain-reaction car wreck that has led to a lawsuit against rock star Sully Erna of the band Godsmack.

Lindsay Taylor, 26, and her parents, Elaine and Jeffrey, all of Chelmsford, are suing Erna for the April 11, 2007 three-car crash on the ramp from Interstate 93 south to Route 213 east.

Taylor rode in the back seat of a Toyota Camry driven by Eric Sargent of Haverhill. She suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and was in a coma after the crash, according to the lawsuit and her lawyer.

The front-seat passenger in the Camry, Cliff Sargent, told Trooper Daniel Doiron that the Camry rear ended a woman in front of them before being hit by Erna’s Hummer, according to Doiron’s report.

“He denies he ever said that to the police,” said Kathleen DiFruscia, an attorney representing Eric Sargent. “Needless to say, Cliff Sargent was extremely distraught at the scene. It’s very hard to tell when you have such a significant impact. You may feel that impact from the vehicle in the front before you register an impact from the vehicle behind.”

Eric Sargent “emphatically denies that he struck the vehicle in front of him,” she added.

But Erna’s lawyer, Michael Gallagher, contends that Erna did not cause the accident. Erna has filed a third-party complaint against Sargent, saying Sargent “is, or may be” liable for “all or part of” the claims against the rocker, arguing that Sargent first rear ended a Honda Odyssey driven by Maureen White of Londonderry, N.H.

Erna told police that his brakes didn’t work. There were no skid marks on the ramp. The trooper cited Erna for speeding and cited Sargent for failure to use care stopping, the report said.

Failure to use care stopping is a citation that cannot be appealed and carries no penalty, DiFruscia said.

Eric Sargent was unconscious at the crash scene and had to be extricated from his car. State police never interviewed him about the crash, DiFruscia said.

Erna, a 40-year-old Lawrence native who now lives in Windham, N.H., drove a 2006 Hummer H3 owned by Godsmack Touring Inc., which is also named as a defendant.

Erna was not hurt in the crash. “A jury will determine fault here,” DiFruscia said.

Source: The Eagle Tribune, Landover, MA

Tokio Hotel Working On ‘Dark’ Anthems For Next Album

It’s been awhile since the production trio known as the Matrix worked on such a highly anticipated album. But that will change this spring when Tokio Hotel release the follow-up to their English language breakthrough album, Scream. The yet-untitled album is being co-produced by the pop songwriters/producers best known for their work with Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Korn.

“We’re in the middle of working on the Tokio Hotel record right now,” Matrix member Lauren Christy said Tuesday, the same day the collective’s long-lost album featuring a then-unknown singer by the name of Katy Perry dropped on iTunes. “We’ve done eight songs for that record … and I love the singer’s voice and the fact that they play their own instruments. They’re a real band, and they’re very dark. They’re this almost-perfect, gorgeous-looking band but with music that’s very dark.”

So far, Christy said the German group has laid down tracks at two different Los Angeles studios with the Matrix and with their own in-house production team over the past few months, with a mix that includes very “strong, anthem-y” songs with a dark edge and “lots of guitars.”

Fellow Matrix producer Scott Spock said the sessions have been one of the most exciting and enjoyable of his career. “We’ve worked with so many different people, and when you get into a room where magic just starts happening … it makes everything really fun,” he said, comparing the spark to the one he felt working with Lavigne and Korn. “It’s the same experience with Tokio Hotel. … They are all really talented and can write and play, and they’re the real deal.”

Spock said he can’t recall the last time he worked with a singer who had as much star quality as TH leader Bill Kaulitz. “The music business really needs Tokio Hotel right now,” Spock said. “They’re reviving that image of what a rock star is. … Their writing has developed massively, and we’re experimenting a bit with some Depeche Mode influence. … It doesn’t sound like anything else out there right now. People don’t want to hear a bunch of 808s and Auto-Tuned vocals. They want the real stuff.”

Christy added that one of the other things she’s grown to love about the rockers is their strong sense of identity, one that seems impervious to the Matrix’s tendency toward a big, bright pop sound. “The band is so aware of what they are, and when you have an artist that’s that strong, you can’t pull them and homogenize them and make them sound like they’re not. They’re very opinionated about what they want.”

That strong sense of self has made it easier to work with the guys as they try to introduce some more American rock styles to their sound, Spock said, while working hard not to lose that unique essence that has made them worldwide stars already. “The push and pull between the camps has been great,” he said. “And I think the album will be great because of that. I’m going to look back on this in 10 years and say, ‘Wow, I worked with Tokio Hotel!’ ”

Christy said TH came to the Matrix because they really liked the ballad they’d co-written with Avril Lavigne, “I’m With You,” as well as their production on Korn’s See You on the Other Side album.

“They like the sadness of that song and were really touched by it,” she said of the Lavigne tune. “They like the Korn records too, but they said, ‘We wouldn’t do that, but it’s really good. But it’s not truthful to us as a band.’ ” So far, the Matrix have been co-writing all the songs they’ve worked on with TH for the album, and at press time, Scott said they had completed work on six of those tunes.

The album is tentatively due in late spring, according to Christy; a spokesperson for TH’s label could not be reached for comment at press time. “Their confidence in knowing exactly who they are and what they’re doing, given how youthful they are, is amazing,” Spock said. “They definitely bring the dark side of the pop song, not like a Lamb of God record but with rock influences that will cross over to so many different kids … and even some adults.”

In addition to the TH album, Christy said the Matrix have been grinding away on Korn singer Jonathan Davis’ solo debut, an album by “iCarly” star Miranda Cosgrove, the next Ashley Tisdale CD and the soundtrack to the rebooted “Fame.”

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