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Johnny Depp Loses U.K. Libel Case Over ‘Wife-Beater’ Claims
In arguably the biggest English libel trials of the 21st century, Depp sued News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an April 2018 article that accused him of assaulting fellow actor Heard. The ruling deals a big blow to Depp’s reputation that could imperil his career, which has seen the actor take the lead in some of the most popular family movies in recent times, from Edward Scissorhands to most lucratively the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. That reputational cost clearly comes with an indeterminate financial cost on top of the several millions pounds in legal costs he will likely be required to pay following Monday’s ruling. A lawyer for Depp, 57, described the decision as “perverse as it is bewildering.” “The judgment is so...
Shawn Mendes Tapped For BBC’s Children In Need Appeal Show
The 22-year-old is on a streak. His first three studio albums all hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and in the U.K., his last two LPs peaked at No. 3. This year’s Children In Need show will be hosted by Mel Giedroyc, Alex Scott, Stephen Mangan and Chris Ramsey, and includes appearances by celebrated British soul singer Beverley Knight, and the cast of West End musical Six. During the lockdown earlier in the year, Children In Need and Comic Relief joined forces to create The Big Night In. The event raised more than £67,100,000 ($87 million) for good causes and featured the premiere of the video for Radio 1’s Stay Home Live Lounge charity single, an all-star cover of Foo Fighters‘ “Times Like These.” The track went straight in at No. 1 on the Official Singles...
Eddie Van Halen’s Son Blasts ‘US Weekly’ For Publishing ‘Lies’ About Family
Van Halen took exception, however, to a cover story in the entertainment magazine which features his mom Valerie Bertinelli alongside the headline, “Love, Loss & Staying Strong.” “F— this, and f— you US Weekly,” Van Halen writes. “The only thing printed in this piece of toilet paper that’s true is that we all loved my father. This is not a new interview. My mother did not speak to them for this. That is all.” The thread continues, “I know what a lot of you are going to say. ‘Just ignore it, bro!’ I’m not going to stand by and let people publish lies and make my family’s tragedy someone else’s entertainment.” Wolfgang has been a member of the rock band since 2006, when he replaced founding Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony. He contributed to Van Halen’s final studio al...
Trump and the Future of the Celebrity Candidate
Some experts in presidential campaigning caution against seeing Trump as much more than a unique phenomenon. “It’s important not to over-read what his candidacy means for future elections,” says Stephanie Cutter, who served as deputy campaign manager for Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign and held similar positions for John Kerry and Ted Kennedy. But others contend the fresh dynamics in star power are just beginning to play out and, regardless of what happens on Nov. 3, have already changed the calculus. “Donald Trump rang a bell that a lot of people heard: ‘If he could be elected president, then I can be elected president.’ A lot of celebrities with a big platform now believe that,” says longtime political advisor Mark Mc...
Alter Bridge Unleash Hard-Hitting New Song “Last Rites”: Stream
Alter Bridge have unleashed a new song called “Last Rites”, which serves as the latest preview of their upcoming Walk the Sky 2.0 EP. The lyric video features a smoky, dimly lit aesthetic with a crystal ball making a prediction based on the song’s foreboding lyrics: “I’ve seen the future/ Yeah the writing’s on the wall/ And it don’t look that good to me,” Myles Kennedy sings in the opening verse The idea for “Last Rites” began during the recording sessions for Alter Bridge’s 2019 album Walk the Sky, but the band finished writing and recording the song during the pandemic. “We just felt like it wasn’t going to be something that fit the overall vibe of Walk the Sky, as far as what we were trying to attempt to do with that record,” Kennedy told Heavy Consequence of the song. “So, when al...
King Crimson’s Robert Fripp Performs Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” as Wife Toyah Sings and Dances Behind Bars: Watch
This year has seen its fair share of unexpected and bizarre phenomena, and King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah Willcox have come to embrace it. The musical duo have spent quarantine making performance art videos, but their latest idea for Halloween might be their most absurd yet. Donned in henna-like tattoos that cover his face and arms, Fripp starts playing Black Sabbath’s iconic song “Paranoid” on his Les Paul. Behind him, Willcox is locked behind bars — in what’s either an old prison cell or an underground bank vault — and starts dancing when the songs begins. When it comes time for the verses, she starts singing the metal classic The effect of the video is pretty uncomfortable but morbidly entertaining. Perhaps the use of “Paranoid” and dancing in a cage is...
Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” Featured in Joe Biden Campaign Ad: Watch
Eminem (photo by Natalie Somekh) and Joe Biden (photo by Phil Roeder, via the National Archives and Records Administration) In the final days of the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden has decided to tug at the millennial heartstrings and use Eminem’s legendary hype song “Lose Yourself” in an official campaign ad. Titled “One Opportunity”, the 45-second clip utilizes the classic Slim Shady track to soundtrack black and white footage of people dramatically. . .being people. There’re shots of everyday folks running, skateboarding, playing basketball, spending time with family members, masking up for work, and waiting in line to vote. Eventually, some slow-motion clips of Joe Biden walking and a big “VOTE” message enter the fray, but the majority of the video feels more like a Nike commerci...
Three Crucial Issues at Stake for Musicians in the 2020 US Election
In less than 36 hours, we’ll reach the end of the strangest, sickest, most contentious election season in modern American memory. Many people reading this will have already cast their vote for the next President of the United States; data from the US Elections Project indicates that more than 95 million Americans have taken advantage of early voting options this year, just one more way in which the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the traditional sprint to Election Day. That said, there are still plenty of voters planning to cast ballots in person on Election Day (November 3rd). For those folks, we’ve put together a quick overview of where the two candidates for President stand on three major policy areas affecting the arts in 2020 and beyond: the economic impact of the pandemic on music venu...
WEDNESDAY 13 Drops Music Video For Cover Of INXS’s ‘Devil Inside’
WEDNESDAY 13 has released an official music video for its wicked new cover of INXS‘s hit song “Devil Inside”. The clip, filmed and directed by Vicente Cordero (3TEETH, SEPTEMBER MOURNING), premiered during the band’s highly anticipated “Halloween Spooktacular!” event on Saturday, October 31 live from Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California and can now be seen below. WEDNESDAY 13‘s namesake frontman comments: “Just in time for Halloween, we’ve been saving this track for something special, and what better way than with a music video for Halloween. The INXS cover of ‘Devil Inside’ was recorded during the ‘Necrophaze’ sessions with producer Michael Spreitzer. “I have a great memory of this song as a kid in...
AXL ROSE Urges His Followers To Vote For ‘Democracy’ And ‘Future Of Our Country’
Axl Rose has urged his social media followers to go out and vote in today’s U.S. presidential election, saying that they should “make a stand” for “democracy” and “the future of our country.” The GUNS N’ ROSES frontman took to his Twitter late Monday (November 2) to write: “VOTE Whatever It Takes VOTE Take A Side Make A Stand VOTE With Courage In The Face Of Fear And Intimidation VOTE Through All The Noise Lies And Distractions VOTE For The Country For A Better World For DEMOCRACY “VOTE For The Future Of Our Country Our Planet Your Planet This Planet The Only Planet We Have VOTE For Those Who Fought, Suffered And Died To Create And Protect Your Right To Vote “VOTE For Loved Ones For You And For US Together As One And If It H...
Man Who Burned Churches In Effort To Raise His Profile As ‘Black Metal’ Musician Sentenced To 25 Years
A 23-year-old black metal fan was sentenced Monday (November 2) in the Western District of Louisiana to 300 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for intentionally setting fire to three African-American Baptist churches because of the religious character of those buildings. Holden Matthews was also ordered to pay restitution of $590,246 to St. Mary Baptist Church, $970,213.30 to Greater Union, and $1,100,000 to Mt. Pleasant. Specifically, Matthews was sentenced on three counts of violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, 18 U.S.C. § 247(a)(1) — one count for each church — as well as one count of using fire to commit a federal felony. The fires, which Matthews set over a 10-day period in March and April of 2019, completely destroyed each of the church buildings....
Ex-SLIPKNOT Percussionist CHRIS FEHN Appears To Have Settled His Lawsuit Over Band Profits
Former SLIPKNOT percussionist Chris Fehn appears to have settled his lawsuit againt the band on claims he hadn’t been properly compensated for his years of touring and recording with the group. Fehn, a member since 1998, was officially dismissed from the band early last year. The case was voluntarily discontinued on October 29 “with prejudice,” meaning Fehn can’t refile the lawsuit on the same claim. Fehn sued SLIPKNOT members Corey Taylor and Michael Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown) in March 2019, claiming that he had been told that all the band’s income was being funneled through one company that split the profits between the group members. But he alleged that he later discovered the existence of several other SLIPKNOT-related business entities through which othe...
