Def Leppard’s Vivian Campbell Says Music Piracy May Benefit Classic Acts

Now here’s something you don’t hear every day. A recording artist who sounds like he is applauding music piracy — an activity that has been frowned upon (to say the least) by the recording industry. With roving spies (both human and non-human) scouring the net for illegal copies of popular tunes, and lawsuits filed against downloading grannies (even those that are not still among the living!), Campbell clearly has a different view.

He does point out, however, that he sees music piracy primarily as a benefit for classic acts. and not so much for the groups that are starting out and working to make a name for themselves.

Campbell makes and excellent point. One wonders how many youngsters have discovered the music of groups like Def Leppard or Aerosmith or any number of other classic bands by downloading their music from popular music-sharing sites and networks.

After all, I do not suspect that copies of Dreamboat Annie or Pyromania have been flying off store shelves or flowing in record numbers out of Amazon.com’s warehouses in recent years. With new and younger fans embracing some of this classic groups, it does have the potential to provide them with a source of income from touring. Surely more physically demanding than the rigors of touring, but a buck is a buck, right? You sure as hell can’t download a actual live show now, can you?

Beyond that, I’m sure that some of them, if not the majority of classic artists, enjoy the opportunity to get up in front of a crowd of adoring fans — many of them newly-minted at that!

Classic rockers probably do greatly benefit from the whole piracy thing, and at the same time,  we should not underestimate the influence of popular video games like "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Star" for their role in reviving interest in decades-old acts whose music is being featured prominently as part of this new generation of video entertainment.

Classic rock is far from dead, and as strange as it may seem, illegal activity like music sharing probably has a lot to do with keeping it alive, which leaves this writer a little conflicted about the issue. It’s difficult to harbor a lot of resentment towards an activity that may be helping to keep the music of my generation going strong, but then again…

I’m sure record company executives aren’t overjoyed to hear this kind of talk coming from someone like Vivian Campbell, but I think it may be hard to argue that his observation is not correct.

Perhaps those same record company executives are wishing they could silence voices like Campbell’s similar to the way the Chinese government has been silencing protestors during the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.

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Tags: Def Leppard, Music Piracy, Music Sharing, Vivian Campbell

Twists And Turns In Latest From The Ronnie Wood Saga

This one is starting to feel a little bit like the Led Zeppelin thing. Will they (tour) or won’t they?

A few days back, one of the U.K. tabloids was reporting that Wood’s wife of 23 years was planning to leave him and move to the U.S. and work on promoting her brother’s art business. Well, perhaps not.

Yesterday, U.K. celebrity gossip magazine Now, reported that despite Ekaterina Ivanova’s claim that Wood plans to move in with her following his release from rehab, and that the two are in love, other sources close to Wood’s family are saying that "Ekaterina is living in a fantasy world. To say she has won Ronnie is ridiculous, particularly as there isn’t a competition. Ronnie is still trying to save his marriage and Jo is desperate to see him nursed back to health."

Despite previous speculation, including on my part, Ivanova claims it’s not about the money and that she never pursued Wood. She also says there is a very strong connection between them even though others are saying that the 61-year-old rock legend’s fling with the young Russian beauty was the result of a nasty fall off the wagon.

Call me a traditionalist or whatever, but I’m still convinced that attractive young ladies don’t fall in love with 61-year-old rock stars based on genuine "love." I still say it’s about the money, and although I won’t go as far as saying that it is impossible for her to truly be in love with him, I will say that I think it’s extraordinarily unlikely.

As for Wood, the lure of a tryst with a young lady like Ekaterina Ivanova is not hard to imagine, but beyond the physical aspect of a relationship like that, I suspect there’s little else left to build a meaningful and lasting relationship upon.

I know that they say females of our species mature faster than males, but even so, when I was in my early 20’s I really didn’t know where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. I made some very poor decisions along the way, which fortunately left me mentally (some would argue that point) and financially intact. The point being that many people in their early 20’s may be a bit too young to be making decisions about true love and lasting commitments, whereas people in their 60’s should be wise enough to recognize a huge mistake when they see it hurtling towards them.

That concludes our session for today. Please stop by the receptionist’s window located near the waiting room on the way out to arrange for payment or provide your insurance information.

Tags: Affair, Ekaterina Ivanova, Ronnie Wood

Def Leppard On Cutting Edge of Live Rock Entertainment

Sure, Def Leppard has been around since their glory days in the 1980’s when hits like "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages" blared from car radios across the land, but that does not mean these middle-aged rockers don’t keep up with the latest in technology.

At their upcoming show at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena on August 23, the group will introduce to fans something they are calling "Rockzimity Marketing." It’s all about delivering content to concert goers using technologies like Wi-Fi and Blue Tooth, by setting up "hot spots" at various locations in the arena which will transmit the content to fans who bring their Wi-Fi and Blue Tooth-capable devices to the show.

Upon entering the arena, the well-equipped fan will be greeted with a message from the band, which will welcome them to the "Sparkle Lounge," which originally referred to the name of the backstage area where the band hangs out when they are not performing for their fans. It was also the name the group chose for the latest album.

There will also be an opportunity for tuned-in attendees to win a trip to the "Sparkle Lounge," after the show, where they will presumably be able to mingle a bit with the band. There will also be discounts offered on select Def Leppard merchandise, giving ticket holders yet another reason to bring along whichever gadget they own that will allow them to tune into this unique medium.

"You have to differentiate your music in today’s industry and how you introduce things to your audience," says frontman Joe Elliott. "This is the direction for the future of the way fans connect with artists, it also adds another dimension to our live performance by getting the fans involved from the moment they walk though the door — literally."

Def Leppard Gear   Def Leppard Ringtones   Def Leppard Posters

One of the best things about this is that there are not extra charges of fees involved. None of that "standard text messaging rates apply" stuff or anything like that during the show, which make sense since this is being called "Rockzimity Marketing." Who the heck would want to pay to be marketed to?

Still, this does sound like a cool idea and will likely make fans feel more involved with the show. The chance to win a backstage visit provides an additional benefit to those who tune into the new service at the show.

Tags: Blue Tooth, Def Leppard, Detroit, Joe Louis Arena, Rockzimity Marketing, Wi-Fi

A Scandalous Comeback?

OK, so Scandal may not come to mine when you think of classic rock groups, but Scandal, fronted by Patty Smyth did have a song or two in heavy rotation on MTV back in the early 80’s when I was in my early 20’s. Sure, some may think of Scandal as having more of a pop-rock sound, but I remember well those Scandal videos back then quite well. Mainly because I thought Patty Smyth was quite hot (especially on "Goodbye To You!") , and since she reminded me of a girl I dated briefly around that time, those vintage videos are even more memorable.

After Scandal faded from the scene, Smyth did some solo projects which included a successful solo album entitled Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough, which featured a duet with the Eagles’ Don Henley.

After marrying tennis star John McEnroe in the mid 1990’s and raising a few kids (some his and some hers), Smyth got the itch to get back on stage again. After a 2004 reunion on VH1’s Bands Reunited, Scandal was inspired to give it another go, and were on the road during 2006 with Rick Springfield.

Scandal seems to be gaining some traction these days, and like a lot of other classic groups, is starting to pick up some new fans from a generation that did not enjoy the benefits of MTV’s early days. Yeah, I kind of miss those early days with Martha Quinn and Nina Blackwood, and now I can’t remember the last time I tuned in, other than to watch Ozzy Osbourne’s show a few years back, which I thought was hilarious.

Anyway, enough with the reminiscing, and let’s back back to the present.

Scandal’s 1980’s hit "The Warrior"  has been featured on an episode of Family Guy and  on the video game "Grand Theft Auto," as well as an edition of "Guitar Hero" called "Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the ‘80s." A testament to the band’s efforts to revive their career perhaps.

With two original members re-joining Smyth, guitarist Keith Mack and keyboardist/guitarist Benjy King, the group’s original bass player has been replaced with Tom Welsch and original drummer with Eran Asias.

Smyth is obviously quite happy to be working again, and this statement demonstrates that quite well: “We’re kicking ass and blowing minds out there. We’re so tight, if I fell down a flight of stairs, these four guys would follow me and we’d all land on our feet. I’ve never had more fun. For once, I feel like all the weight isn’t on me. I’m at the top of my game. When I step out on that stage, I’m in my element. It’s an unbelievable joy.”

For the full scoop, click on over to The Improper.

Scandal in the early days of MTV

Tags: Comeback, MTV, Patty Smyth, Scandal, VH1

Guns N’ Roses To Release Album That’s Been Delayed Fourteen Years?

You’ve got to admit that 14 years is a long time to work on an album. But where this particular story is concerned, perhaps there is a political element that has been holding its release back.

Guns N’ Roses album is entitled Chinese Democracy, which surely seems to leave the impression that the album’s content may have some elements of activism mixed with the music. I’m sure that I’d be hard pressed to find an American citizen who does not think democracy in The People’s Republic of China is not a good idea, but I suppose that some pressure from people in high places could be the reason behind the long delay in this case. After all, we sure do a lot of business with China these days. Just check out the shelves at your local retailer.

News of a possible impending release of Chinese Democracy certainly comes at an opportune time with the Summer Olympic Games in full swing in Beijing. What better time to make a political statement regarding a push for democracy in the world’s largest and most powerful remaining Communist country?

Talks are reportedly underway that may bring Chinese Democracy out of the shadows and onto store shelves through one of those exclusive deals that seem to be getting so popular these days. Wal-Mart and Best Buy are mentioned as possible partners in this release, but sources say that there is also the possibility of a deal with a record company as well.

Tracks from the album have already been leaked on the internet, so there are probably more than a few fans that have heard the entire album by now.

I don’t know how many metal fans there are in China, but I suspect they’ll be hard pressed to get their hands on this particular album when it is released. The government will no doubt classify it as "dangerous" and say that it interferes with China’s internal affairs, just like they say about everything else that has to do with giving human beings rights that they should be granted from the beginning.

There are always ways to get around the barriers erected by dictatorial regimes, so assuming that there are metal fans in China, I suspect a few of them will find a way to land a copy of Chinese Democracy in one form or another. Who knows? Maybe it might even help fuel the desire for more freedom that we all know exists in the hearts and minds of a whole lot of people living in that country.

Tags: Chinese Democracy, Guns N Roses, Release