Melody Plant

In my opinion, it’s about time that Madonna was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. The 2008 induction ceremony was held at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Monday and this is what she had to say: “I’ve always been fortunate to have people around me who believed in me. Life, like art, is a collaboration. I did not get here on my own. And why would I want to? [Even the people who] said I was talentless, that I was chubby, that I couldn’t sing, that I was a one-hit wonder, they helped me, too. They inspired me because they made me question myself repeatedly and pushed me to be better.” Aww, thanking the little people.

John Mayer has an interview in the March issue of Best Life magazine. What does the douche bag talk about? Himself of course!

“I accept myself as a very specific kind of guy and in that sense I’m a little like a woman, because my chemistry is so exacting…I can’t describe it in words, but I can see it in my head, its color, its light, its shapes, and I’ve managed through my entire 30 years to synthesize my love for myself by way of many different reasoning’s and processes and have been able to really synthesize my own satisfaction and things that do it for me. They’ve usually been self-taught, self-instructed, self-refined. So to be with anybody else has to somewhat lie in that comfort zone I’ve created with myself so well.”

Avril Lavigne, her Sum 41 front man husband Deryck Whibley and their friends were spotted enjoying a winter vacation in Miami on Monday. Now, I get why she’s wearing a jacket on the beach. And here I thought she was doing an Ashlee Simpson/Pete Wentz by going all emo.

Rumors have been running rampant that the Canadian punk rock princess has a bun in the oven but her reps have recently shot down the pregnancy rumors. Those rumors have been around for a couple of weeks now and it doesn’t look like she’s pregnant. Her reps may just be telling the truth – or maybe that’s what the jacket is really for.

Females everywhere will need to learn the meaning of the words “Look, but don’t touch”. Especially with one band.

Indie rockers the Kings of Leon are refusing to be snapped with girl fans, because they’re sick of getting their bums grabbed.

The rockers have put the squeeze on screaming girls taking pics with them because they tend to get a bit too, er, hands on.

Frontman Caleb Followill said: “There’s too much grab-a**e action.”

The band, partial to wearing tight jeans, announced the ban in Oz this week.

Girls, you have been warned.

If you think of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, you’d think of leather pants, eyeliner and maybe even gold paint. But did you ever think of seeing one in Crocs? I sure didn’t. But that was exactly what the band’s front man, Anthony Kiedis, wore when he hung out with his biggest little fan – his 3-month old son Everly Bear.

The rocker dad was seen making the rounds in Malibu on Wednesday with his personal band – baby mama Heather Christie and their little chili pepper. He is so cute and precious. I just want to steal him and take him home.

Music legend Ike Turner has died. He apparently died in his home in San Marcos, California which is just outside of San Diego. He was married four times, most famously to Tina Turner whom he got divorced with in 1978 amidst his constant abuse towards her. Regardless, the singing duo had 7 top ten R&B songs. Ike is survived by his four known children, Ike Jr., Michael, Ronald and Mia.

The Recording Academy issued a statement regarding Turner’s passing saying “There is no doubt that Ike Turner was one of rock and roll’s great architects with his genre-defying sound as an instrumentalist and bandleader … As a two-time GRAMMY® Award winner and recipient of The Recording Academy’s 2004 Heroes Award, Ike’s legacy as a groundbreaking pioneer in the music industry will never be forgotten.”

Well we are familiar with celebs having interesting or dangerous hobbies. Only yesterday did I comment on KT Tunstall’s love of rock climbing despite worrying about losing limbs in the process. And now soldier boy James Blunt joins the masses and reveals his love for the Swiss Slopes.

Hmm something tells me it’s not the skiing James loves though. Famed for his womanising ways, it is rumoured that the ‘You’re Beautiful’ singer took the virginity of hundreds of chalet girls at his favourite resort in Switzerland. And to top it off; his conquests are proudly wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “James Blunt Took my Virginity”.

Blunt is typically male and very proud of his reputation, saying: “I once found myself in a swimming pool in Los Angeles with nine naked models and I was the only bloke. I’d like to think any woman I have known has enjoyed being with me.”

Yes but how much is really true James?

Avril Lavigne went to a great low when she had a free concert in Canada this past weekend for the opening of a Best Buy. The only thing that gets lower than that is if it happened to be a disaster – which it was!

A fan turned non-fan said that the show was a joke especially after Avril showed up nearly two hours late while her fans stayed out in the freezing cold and snow just to see her outdoor concert. The show was scheduled to start at 1PM but an announcement came at 1:50PM that she was only to arrive in 15 minutes. Shame on her!

Whoever said that reality TV stars and alums can’t make it big in the real world should really start eating their words now. But in the case of American Idol alums Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry, was there ever really any doubt?

The two singers won big at the 2007 American Music Awards by picking up three awards each. Carrie won for Favorite Female Country Artist, Favorite Country Album for ‘Some Hearts’ and the Audience Text-in Award for Favorite Artist just days after winning big at the Country Music Association Awards. Chris Daughtry and his band took home Breakthrough Artist, Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Contemporary Artist.

Congrats to both!

There is another military man attempting to reach heights in the world of music, and he is Beautiful. Jay Picton is a physical trainer in the Navy, sporting rugged good looks and a promising music career. His single, Unexplainable Reason, has already topped an independent online chart, and he has hopes it will breakthrough to the regular pop charts in the not too distant future.

He claims to have hit the music business by accident. After a knee injury put him on sick leave he began to learn the guitar and write his own songs. Meeting his girlfriend then gave him the opportunity he needed; introducing him to Clyde Ward of Worldwide Productions. Clyde has worked with many great acts including Lionel Richie; whom our budding star has now recorded 3 songs with.

Yes girls, he does have a girlfriend (sigh); but just look at that picture. Isn’t he gorge? Keep those ears peeled for Jay Picton on your radio; if his voice matches his looks he is definitely on for a winner.

It just goes to show that you can never be too young to be successful. The Jonas Brothers’ debut disc, ‘Jonas Brothers’ under Hollywood Records has now officially gone gold by selling over 500,000 copies.

15-year old Nick, 18-year old Joe and 20-year old Kevin are definitely headed for the big time as they’re now appearing with big time artists and even performing on big time shows. On Tuesday, the pop rock group of brothers joined Alicia Keys on TRL. And come Sunday, November 18, the rest of the world can see them perform at the 2007 American Music Awards.

Just days after a video of him leaked showing him shooting up on heroin, and even fewer days of him saying that he was going back to rehab, Pete Doherty was spotted out and about on Saturday. That’s right, you heard it. He’s NOT in rehab.

The rocker who’s been given too many chances already showed up to a court in London on Saturday to lend some ‘moral support’ to Amy Winehouse whose husband got arrested for allegedly trying to fix a trial.

I highly doubt she needs that kind of support from that kind of person Pete. But I do believe both of them need to go to rehab.

Pony Up! are an all-female four piece hailing out of Montreal, Canada. They apparently formed on New Year’s Eve 2002 and since then have been busy touring Australia, North America, and now the United Kingdom.
Perhaps there is something special here then that did not reveal itself on the night. Perhaps it was just the bad P.A. system that made them sound boring, nervous and not particularly interesting to watch or listen to.
To be fair to the girls, every now and then you do hear a lot of potential in their playing, and they do have a few decent songs. The only problem seems to be that because they are quite a novelty in the world of rock ‘n’ roll, a girl band who are not pop - it seems that perhaps they have been let off more easily than their male counterparts would be. Sleater-Kinney they are not, though they seem to be compared to them quite often. Another part of the ‘not enough girls with guitars’ problem one must assume.
The only ray of sunshine in the band was guitarist Sarah Moundroukas who seemed to be a very talented performer. Any time she took up the reins of a song, the interest of the crowd seemed to perk up just a little bit more than usual.
Perhaps if she were the lead singer in the group the whole quality of the band would be much better. Sadly the real lead vocalist Laura Wills seems to enjoy being the centre of attention far too much for that to ever happen, even if she cannot sing very well.

Polysics and Young Love are all out on the road together

Here are the tour dates:

November 1 Providence, RI Heartbreak Hotel
November 2 Gettysburg, PA Gettysburg College
November 3 Emmitsburg, MD St. Mary University
November 4 Raleigh, NC Disco Rodeo
November 6 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
November 7 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Jackie Gleason Theater
November 9 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
November 10 Dallas, TX Palladium
November 11 San Antonio, TX Sunset Station
November 13 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
November 14 Phoenix, AZ The Marquee Theatre
November 16 San Francisco, CA Warfield
November 17 San Diego, CA SOMA
November 18 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern Theatre
November 19 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern Theatre
November 20 Orange County, CA The Grove
November 23 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues

After just days of getting arrested and charged by police with one count of battery, Kid Rock opens up about the early-morning scuffle at a Waffle House in Georgia last weekend to Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show.

On the Thursday edition of the show, the ‘Rock N Roll Jesus’ crooner said he was simply trying to have a good time. He went on to say that he was provoked into a fight. “One thing led to another and windows were broken.” But the rocker insisted that it’s not like him to be like that. “The last thing I want is that reputation. I believe in just standing up for things I believe in.”