Marilyn Manson Wants Ex-Wife Back…for Trial

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Marilyn Manson wants to hook back up with Dita Von Teese…and Trent Reznor and several other old pals.

The shock-rocker’s camp has unveiled a witness wish list that includes his ex-wife, his Nine Inch Nails-fronting mentor to testify on his behalf in an upcoming court showdown with estranged keyboardist Stephen Bier.

Bier, otherwise known as Madonna Wayne Gacy, sued Manson for more than $20 million last year, claiming Manson siphoned off millions of dollars in band revenue.

The funds allegedly paid for drugs, assorted Nazi paraphernalia, the cost of Von Teese’s engagement ring and the ex-couple’s 2005 wedding, and interior decorating of Manson’s mansion, which features a stuffed grizly bear, a pair of baboons and the skeleton of a 4-year-old Chinese girl.

Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, countersued in August, claiming Bier didn’t live up to the terms of his contract and was simply a disgruntled ex-employee. Bier left the band in 2005, shortly before Manson began work on his sixth album, Eat Me, Drink Me.

The trial is set to kick off on Feb. 2. Both Manson and Bier are expected to take the stand, along with their witnesses.

Reznor, for instance, is expected to speak about his tenure producing Manson’s debut album, Portrait of an American Family, released on Reznor’s Nothing Records imprint.

As for Von Teese, the burlesque model will answer questions about their marriage and personal life.

Manson also wants to call former drummer Fred “Freddie” Streithorst, aka Sarah Lee Lucas, to discuss the band situation.

My Chemical Romance Promise More “Aggressive” Album

My Chemical Romance are to get more aggressive on their next studio album, according to the band’s frontman Gerard Way.

The singer says of the forthcoming record, due sometime in 2009: “You know, we’ve made concepts for three albums now, so I think this one - at least from my standpoint - I want to go into it not thinking about a definite story.”

“The one thing is we’ve never really captured that ‘live’ feeling. We’ve gone for sometimes more polish…” Way tells MTV.

“But then, when we’re playing this stuff live, it’s ultimately going to get more aggressive, so I think it’d be interesting to hear what the band sounds like recorded at least somewhat in those parameters of a live set.”

The last My Chemical Romance album was 2006’s ‘Welcome To The Black Parade’.

Slipknot Frontman Corey Taylor To Record Solo Album

Corey Taylor - frontman of Slipknot and Stone Sour - is to pursue a solo career.

The singer intends to put out a record of his own songs, but will not be quitting his other bands. Taylor is so eager to release an album, that he’s already written over 40 songs.

“It’s something that I’d like to do purely for myself.” Corey is quoted as saying. “It’s something that I need to release before I can think about moving on to anything else.”

“In both Slipknot and Stone Sour I’m slightly limited to how I can write and indeed what I can write about. The beauty of doing a solo album is that I can write whatever type of song I want.”

WMG Pulls Music From YouTube

Saturday morning the Warner Music Group pulled all of its music from YouTube as negotiations over payment with Google’s video site reached an impasse. Warner’s move will affect its recordings as well as the songs it owns through Warner/Chappell Music.

“We are working actively to find a resolution with YouTube that would enable the return of our artists’ content to the site,” Warner said in a statement. “Until then, we simply cannot accept terms that fail to appropriately and fairly compensate recording artists, songwriters, labels and publishers for the value they provide.”

Warner, one of the first media companies to strike a deal with YouTube, wants to make more money from online video. Although the nature of the negotiations is unknown, a sticking point could be that YouTube has lagged in monetizing its considerable traffic at a time when competitors, like Hulu, are emerging. Warner still makes videos available to MTV, MySpace Music and other sites.

YouTube also has agreements with the other major labels, which it is now renegotiating. It is not known whether Warner’s move could effect the other negotiations.

“Sometimes, if we can’t reach acceptable business terms, we must part ways with successful partners,” YouTube said in a statement on its blog.

This year, Warner has more than 20 percent market share of albums, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and Atlantic is the No. 1 label in the U.S.

Ozzy To Perform At Taping Of ‘Osbournes: Reloaded’

Ozzy Osbourne, his wife Sharon and their children Jack and Kelly will film a new episode of their new Fox variety show, “Osbournes: Reloaded“, today (Friday, December 19). They are looking for “Ozzy’s biggest fans” to attend the taping, which will include a “very special live Ozzy Osbourne musical performance.”

Fans who want to attend should come to CBS Television City at 7800 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeeles 90036 (Genesee Gate) at 8:30 p.m. Friday, December 19. Only the first 150 people who show up will be given passes and only those aged 18 years and above will be admitted. Please do not bring cameras or video. Suggested parking is at The Grove.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the first episode of “Osbournes: Reloaded” was filmed on December 7. The program, the first of six in the series, was taped before a live audience of around 600 people at CBS Television City. One source compared the show to British variety programs and said it did not resemble the recent variety program hosted by Rosie O’Donnell, which was a massive ratings dud for NBC just before Thanksgiving.

The same source said the show featured a mix of sketches, stunts, and taped segments, as well as “a ton of audience interaction.” Most of the sketches reportedly parodied the “zoned-out” personality cultivated for Ozzy on the family’s smash MTV reality series, “The Osbournes“.

Ozzy told The Pulse of Radio last year that following the completion of “The Osbournes”, he wasn’t interested in doing another TV show right away. “‘The Osbournes’ was like an experiment that went way over what I ever expected it to do,” he said. “Sharon and I have been offered so much TV stuff, but I can’t stand it, you know. I mean, I don’t like to see me on TV, I don’t like to see me on film or anything, you know.”

“Osbournes: Reloaded” is expected to air sometime in early 2009.

Ozzy is also working on a new studio album to follow up 2007’s “Black Rain“.

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