According to a London police spokesman, George Michael, 42,
was arrested in the Hyde Park area on Sunday on suspicion of possessing a class C drug (which includes marijuana
and painkillers) after being found slumped over the steering wheel of a car. Michael was released on bail and may
face charges later in March pending an investigation. The singer has owned up to the possession being his "own
stupid fault, as usual" and that he has no complaints about the police. Michael did say that he was tested
by a police doctor who determined he was capable of driving himself home but his car was already immobilized by
police. He also vowed, "I promise I won't make a record out of this one -- even though it's tempting."
If convicted, the singer faces 2 years in jail and an unlimited fine.
CBS have lost their appeal of the $550,000 fine levied against them after Janet Jackson's 2004 Super Bowl half-time
show "wardrobe malfunction."
Journey were forced to cancel their performance at the Vina Del Mar Festival in Chile on Feb. 25th due to vocalist
Steve Augeri's bout with pneumonia. The band had hoped he would recover in time to still perform.
The Ray Charles Foundation has donated the late performer's tour bus to Atlanta's Morehouse College (where he received
an honorary degree in 2001.) The bus is expected to be displayed on campus and may be used for student trips in
the future.
The Sex Pistols have issued a statement saying that they would not
attend the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies on Mar. 13th. The
official statement (which is a little more descriptive) can be viewed
at: http://www.thefilthandthefury.co.uk/
Bob Geldof and Bono have again been listed among the 191 nominees for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for their continuing
efforts to cancel third world debt. Bono received the Neruda Prize, Chile's highest award for the arts, on Sunday
in Santiago during their stop there for a concert. Before the concert each of U2's band members and manager Paul
McGuinness received Amnesty International's 2005 Ambassador of Conscience award.
Metallica, who have been busy in the studio with Rick Rubin working on their new album, make a cameo appearance
in the upcoming black comedy, The Darwin Awards.
Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris are scheduled to release their new duet album, All The Roadrunning, on Apr. 25th
supported by a European tour in May.
Sting and his wife Trudie Styler are expected to take New York's New Victory Theater stage for a performance of
Twin Spirits (about the composers and lovers Robert and Clara Schumann) on Mar. 27th benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity
Fights AIDS.
New episodes of Tanya Tucker's reality TV series, Tuckerville, will begin airing on TLC starting Apr. 8th as the
show has been renewed for 16 more episodes.
Elton John and Celine Dion performed together for the first time ever last week at Las Vegas' Colosseum at Caesars
Palace (where they both have had long running shows) in order to raise money for Harrah's Entertainment Inc. workers
affected by the hurricanes last year.
Michael Jackson's all-star charity single, "I Have This Dream," which features guest appearances by James
Ingram, the O'Jays, Shanice, Jermaine Jackson and many others is expected to be released at the end of the month.
Morrissey has claimed that the U.S. and U.K. intelligence officials interviewed him after he criticized the war
in Iraq, George W. Bush and the British government in recent years to determine if the singer was a threat. Morrissey
releases Ringleader of the Tormentors on Apr. 4th.
The Goo Goo Dolls have finished work on their new studio album, Let Love In, which will hit stores on Apr. 18th.
Former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore will release the new Blackmore's Night album, The Village
Lanterne, on Apr. 4th which the has been described as "Mike Oldfield meets Enya."
Depeche Mode filmed their two shows at Milan's Filaforum for a live DVD which they expect to be released in September.
Meanwhile, the band will be reissuing remastered versions of some of their back catalogue (Speak & Spell, Music
For The Masses and Violator) in the U.K. on Mar. 27th in a standard version and a SACD/CD+DVD version with bonus
tracks and 5.1 audio.
Voivod have announced that work on their new studio album, Katorz, has been completed and will be released in late
spring.
The Rolling Stones recent free performance on Rio de Janiero's Copacabana Beach was their first show in the city
since 1998 and was attended by over a million people. More than 10,000 police provided security for nearly two
and a half hour the event. Meanwhile, at least 20 people were injured in their Thursday performance in Argentina.
The Revolting Cocks will release their new studio album, Cocked and Loaded, on Mar. 7th which features guest appearances
by ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Jello Biafra, Butthole Surfers' Gibby Haynes, Cheap Trick's Robin Zander and Rick Nielsen
and many others.
Former Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro will remain the host of CBS' Rockstar:
The Series when it returns in the summer. Word is that instead of having the performers compete to lead a band
that the singer-songwriters will compete for a major-label contract.
The Cure's first 4 studio albums (1979's Three Imaginary Boys, 1980's Seventeen Seconds, 1981's Faith and 1982's
Pornography) will be reissued as remastered versions of the original session tapes (the band recently released
the albums as deluxe editions with bonus tracks.) Meanwhile, the band are working on their new studio album.
Prince's double-disc compilation, Ultimate Prince, featuring hits, remixes and B-sides from 1978 to 1993 will be
released on Mar. 14th. His new studio effort, 3121, will be released on Mar. 21st although tracks are currently
available for download at iTunes.
A new double-DVD visual career anthology entitled Arsenal of Megadeth containing 32 previously unreleased clips
will be released on Mar. 21st.
Bruce Springsteen has been working in the studio on his next release which is tentatively titled The Seeger Sessions.
Due out in May, the album focuses on the songs of folk artist Pete Seeger and the songs he popularized.
A compilation of songs that inspired Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes and John Taylor entitled Only After Dark will be
released in the U.K. on May 1st to coincide with the release of the new book, Duran Duran Unseen, Paul Edmond -
Photographs 1979-1982.
Matthew Sweet and Bangles vocalist Susanna Hoffs will release a 15-track collection of '60s remakes entitled Under
the Covers Vol. 1 on Apr. 18th. Both are hopeful to create a Volume 2 but have other plans in the meantime. Hoffs
will hit the road with the Bangles and return to the studio with them while Sweet has been working on his next
solo album.
Dead Or Alive's Pete Burns expects to publish an autobiography under the title Freak Unique in April. documenting
his life in detail.
Tony Bennett's upcoming 80th birthday tribute album due out Sept. 26th will feature the crooner performing duets
with Elton John, Sting, Bono, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Elvis Costello, K.D. Lang, Barbra Streisand and many others.
Public Enemy will release their next studio effort, Rebirth of a Nation, on Mar. 7th featuring San Francisco rapper
Paris. Other guests on the album include N.W.A.'s MC Ren and Professor Griff. The group will follow with another
album, How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who've Sold Their Soul, next spring.
A new Einstuerzende Neubauten DVD entitled On Tour With Neubauten.Org will be released on Mar. 24th documenting
their 2004 tour.
Big Vin Records will release the long-rumored Rebel Meets Rebel album on May 2nd. The album pairs former Pantera
members Vinnie Paul, Dimebag Darrell and Rex Brown with country music outlaw David Allen Coe on a collection that
meanders between metal and country. Also heading to stores that day will be Dimevision Vol. 1, a DVD collecting
behind-the-scenes footage of the late Dimebag Darrell Abbott.
The Charlatans U.K. will release their first new studio album in the U.S. in 5 years, Simpatico, on May 2nd.
Reunited metal act Obsession will release their first new studio album since 1987's Methods of Madness, this spring
under the title Carnival of Lies.
Bob Dylan recently spent January in New York with his touring band rehearsing new material for his 31st album expected
to be released later this year.
Melodicrock have reported the names of the musicians that have been locked into a house for 10 days to write and
record new original music for VH1's reality series tentatively titled Supergroup. Former Skid Row vocalist Sebastian
Bach, guitarist Ted Nugent, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, Biohazard bassist Evan Seinfeld and drummer Jason Bonham
China Crisis' Gary Daly is reportedly working on a solo album entitled
The Dirty Sweet And Lowdown World Of Men to be released later this
year. Some samples have been posted at his MySpace area:
http://www.myspace.com/thevisionarymindsetexperience
Former Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton will release a self-titled album under the name Peeping Tom via his own
Ipecac label on May 30th.
Golden Smog (which features Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Soul Asylum's Dan Murphy, Big Star's Jody Stephens and the Jayhawks'
Gary Louris, Marc Perlman and Kraig Johnson) will release Another Fine Day, their first new studio album in 8 years,
on July 18th.
Warner Home Video will release a DVD entitled Lindsey Buckingham with Special Guest Stevie Nicks on Apr. 24th which
was filmed for Soundstage with 11 high-definition cameras in 5.1 Surround Sound.
Former Iron Maiden frontman Paul Di'Anno is scheduled to release his new studio album, The Living Dead, on May
15th.
A new DVD entitled Marvin Gaye: The Real Thing In Performance, 1964-1981 will be released on Apr. 4th containing
16 of Gaye's performances collected from U.S. and European television appearances.
Nine Inch Nails' latest single, "Every Day Is Exactly The Same," has claimed the top spot on Billboard's
Modern Rock chart.
Bananarama will release their new single, "2 Feel For You," in April.