Steel Panther ad ban, Travis Barker nude pic legal action plus Van Halen, Crue, Extreme, Priest and classic versus rock
By Andrew McDonald
Banned: Steel Panther artwork
Steel Panther’s latest album Balls Out has been deemed inappropriate by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority. The cover shows a reclining, scantily-clad woman holding two metal spheres on a string near her crotch. The band’s label Universal Island claim that the image was supposed to be so over the top that it would not be taken seriously, but ASA explain: “We considered that the main image on the poster was overtly sexual. In addition to this, the title was sexually suggestive and we considered the balls between her legs to be suggestive of male genitalia.” Adverts for the album cannot be displayed in this form again. (XFM)
Travis Barker of Blink 182 has taken legal action against a celebrity gossip website for posting nude photos of him. They were published as images of “an unknown musician” but Barker’s tattoos made him instantly recognisable to fans. The drummer’s attorney has served MediaTakeOut.com with notice to remove the pictures or face further action. (TMZ)
Van Halen’s new material appears to be recycled previous work. Fans have highlighted that several songs are based on the soundtrack of The Wild Life, which Eddie Van Halen composed, while recent single Tattoo has been likened to Down In Flames, a track from their seventies club days. Former singer Sammy Hagar recently said: “Ed and Dave didn’t actually write new songs. They took stuff from previous sessions.” (Blabbermouth)
Former Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes has parted company with ex Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. No reason has been given for the split, but Portnoy says he’ll recruit a replacement for the unidentified musical project. Mr Big’s Richie Kotzen has been named by some sources but he says: “Although we did throw some ideas around, neither of us decided to make any public announcements. I am a fan and I’m sure a collaboration would produce some interesting results.”
Motley Crue are to appear in an advert for the Kia Optima Limited car alongside supermodel Adriana Lima and martial arts fighter Chuck Liddell. Kia marketing boss Michael Sprague says: “It is the ultimate young man’s dream, but it’s not offensive to women either.”
Extreme will perform their breakthrough album Pornograffiti in full at three shows in Japan in April. They haven’t confirmed whether there will be any further performances, but it’s thought likely.
Metal fans and classical music fans have a lot in common, according to a survey carried out by Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University. A worldwide study of 36,000 followers concludes both groups are obsessive and dedicated when it comes to their music. Professor Adrian North explains: “There’s a sense of theatre which is common with both groups. For heavy metal bands it’s about putting on a show.” (Classic Rock)
Former Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing has unveiled plans to open a hotel on his estate in Shropshire, England. The development is set to include an indoor swimming pool, leisure spa and restaurant, and will become one with the golf enthusiast’s club that he opened in 2010. He reveals: “I’m optimistic we can start pushing through with the plans for development this year. I have spent most of my own personal fortune on this. It’s been hard work – but also rewarding and enjoyable to see it grow and grow.” (Shropshire Star)
Best part was the ASA didn’t pick up on her doing ‘the shocker’.
yeah and Slammy Paygar musta forgot that stuff like RIGHT NOW and Take Me Back ( de ja vu ) were written BEFORE he joined Van Halen. ( right now , …I believe was part of those Wild Life sessions).
wow hypocrisy from Slammy.
BTW…its fairly common knowledge that lost of bands treat songwriting like a sketchbook…..
some songs “write themselves” and some times a riff is a great idea but doesn’t get fleshed out before bands get to recording. they hold onto those unused riffs for later.
Metallica, Van Halen, you name ‘em they all do this.
don’t see the controversy.
Thanks for your input.
Indeed, bands do sometimes keep material for many years before releasing it, but I think a point here is that some tracks appear to simply be repackaged, having allegedly been released already in another format (the film soundtrack). Surely, in the eyes of fans, that is different from saving an idea for later use.
Regardless, this report was not so much about controversy as it was revealing an apparent fact about a long-awaited album. The full quote from Sammy shows that he thinks that it is a good, interesting idea. That’s the angle this one-liner could be seen from too; it’s more about highlighting something that fans/readers might enjoy knowing (that some ‘new’ songs originated in the ’70s), not necessarily trying to portray Van Halen as being lazy!
i agree on some points , but its become a re-occuring them with some Hagar supporters that somehow its a HORRIBLE thing that they are redoing some garage tunes and its simply a falsehood that they are doing something out of the ordinary or its cheap.
“Right Now” one of the Biggest hits for them with Hagar was a throw away tune on some other stuff ( I think that was done doing the Wildlife sessions ) …. it was a old riff.
Eddie is one of the most prolific and talented riffer out there. Its common knowledge from interviews that Eddie has a vault of riffs that he sifts through.
If they Dust off “She’s the woman” and redo it ( its not like they just threw out the ’77 demo ) then , its fine BECAUSE the fans have been asking for it. Look on youtube ALONE for the positive reaction to those old demo’s.
If Sammy fans are dismayed or new listeneers are as well, then they either don’t understand the music process, or do want to and just slam it to slam it.
Not to mention that there are indeed fresh tunes on the album —–”Frosty” and “trouble with never” being just released.
And, in some strange ways, from comments on other forums Pro-Roth fans, by getting some of these older demos out there , I think they feel like they’re getting Van Halen picking up where 1984 left off.
I thought that by releasing “tattoo” it was a bad move coming off the success of the Cafe’ Wha show…it felt like a weak track and i initially was worried. BUT after hearing so many previews of most of the album, I FIRMLY believe theres some great stuff that wasn’t properly represented by “Tattoo” and I think even the most cynical fans will feel the same.