(hed) pe

Panic At The Disco Know Punctuation Better Than They Think.

15 Jan 2008 08:03:00 EST

Band can no longer call the Academy Is ..., Enuff Z'Nuff, (hed) p.e. its titular peers; grammar expert intrigued by band's use of periods for Pretty. Odd. LP.
By James Montgomery

Panic at the Disco's Brendon Urie
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Throughout history, rock and roll has been on a mission to systematically destroy punctuation.

This is primarily because punctuation is about rules, conformity and order — three things that rock, in its truest, purest essence, is vehemently opposed to. Semicolons, slashes, commas and periods most certainly do not rock, so in order to smash the system, they are co-opted by rock bands and used for nefarious, decidedly "rock" purposes, which is why we have band names like Motörhead, Mötley Crüe and Hüsker Dü (wanton umlaut abuse), songs like Led Zeppelin's "D'yer Mak'er" (an apostrophic calamity) and albums like At the Drive-In's In/Casino/Out (I have no idea).

In fact, rock has been at war with punctuation for so long now that seemingly every offense has been made — W.A.S.P., Enuff Z'Nuff, the Academy Is ..., Blue Öyster Cult, Blink-182, (hed) p.e. — though in recent years (perhaps owing a debt of gratitude to, uh, trailblazers like Neu! and Wham!), no mark as been as overused as the humble exclamation point.

Pioneered by post-apocalyptic rock outfit Godspeed You Black Emperor! (who would later change their name to Godspeed You! Black Emperor, for reasons apparent only to them) in 1994, exclamation-point abuse came to the forefront in 2000, thanks to bicoastal, post-millennial funk act !!! and bands like On! Air! Library! and Against Me! (who felt so strongly about exclamation points that they would include nine of them in the title of their 2006 live album Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live in London!!!.)

And even more recently, we've seen an exponential growth of exclamation-point abuse, thanks mainly to much-blogged acts like the Go! Team, Los Campesinos!, Die! Die! Die!, ¡Forward Russia!, Thunderbirds Are Now!, Oh No!! Oh My!! — bonus points for double exclamation points — and You Say Party! We Say Die!, which seemed to indicate that we were heading toward a terrifying future in which all new bands were required to choose names that sound like interjections.

But then, last week, something rather extraordinary happened. Bravely — and rather inexplicably — Panic at the Disco decided to drop the "!" from their name, stemming the tide of exclamation overuse and royally ticking off their loyal (and seemingly nuts) fanbase in the process. The bandmembers tried to play it off by saying the point was "never part of the name to us," and that they axed it because it was "annoying to write." But the damage had already been done ... as several of their fans pointed out on sites like PATDOnline.com, the loss of the exclamation point seemed to indicate that Panic were doing everything in their power to put their past behind them (though we're not sure why they'd want to do that.)

And it's not like Panic had foregone all punctuation-related shenanigans this time around ... after all, they decided to title their album Pretty. Odd., as in two seemingly disparate yet equal statements. Conjoined and yet separated by periods. Seriously.

So, really, what's the deal? By dropping the exclamation point and adding a pair of periods, are Panic bucking the system or paying homage to the long and winding history of rock and roll punctuation abuse? Were they ditching their past and heading full-bore into the future? Well, according to an expert, yes ... on all counts.

"Well, you have the right to call yourself whatever you want, and I guess that right extends to adding or removing exclamation points," Geraldine Woods, the author of Webster's New World Punctuation: Simplified and Applied, told MTV News. "It was always a rather interesting choice, because an exclamation point usually doesn't belong in the middle of a sentence, but I think creative people tend to play around with punctuation a great deal — e.e. cummings comes to mind — because there's a form of rebellion in it. I mean, you learn all the rules, and then you get to break them.

"It seems like [Panic have] put some thought into the changes ... they're not just changes for changes' sake," she added. "Pretty. Odd. works because it conjures up images of something that is both pretty and odd, which is interesting," she added. "And it's grammatically interesting, because without the period, the word 'pretty' would be modifying the word 'odd.' So it takes on a completely different context."

See, even though fans are mourning over the loss of the exclamation point, they can take solace in the fact that Panic are now w-a-a-y more grammatically interesting. Of course, there's no denying that their new namesake is decidedly less, well, urgent ... but hey, maybe for album number three, they'll bring the exclamation point back. After all, if rock history has showed us anything, it's that exclamation points rock.

"Exclamation points are used to convey emotion, to increase the immediacy of what you're saying. They instill a sense of emergency and urgency," Woods said. "To change that, especially for a rock band, seems kind of odd to me. There's certainly a reduced sense of 'panic' in Panic at the Disco now."

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Crazy Town Join Ozzfest

12 Feb 2001 07:22:00 EST

Hollywood septet touring with rapper and (hed) p.e. before embarking on Ozzy-founded road trip.
By Joe D'Angelo

Crazy Town
Photo: Sony Records

As if proving a component of chaos theory, the stir of a "Butterfly" has caused some major tour happenings for rock-rappers Crazy Town.

With their debut album at #16 on the Billboard 200 — thanks in part to the hit single "Butterfly" — Crazy Town are the latest additions to this year's Ozzfest lineup, according to a spokesperson for the tour. The Hollywood septet joins the previously announced roster of Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Papa Roach and Linkin Park on the main stage (see "Black Sabbath Will Headline Ozzfest"). Fans can only hope this year's stint fares better than Crazy Town's debut run on last year's edition of the Ozzy-founded outing. In July, five shows into the tour, they were forced to resign their second-stage post after frontman Shifty Shellshock was arrested and jailed (see "Crazy Town Leaves Ozzfest After Arrest").

Meanwhile, Disturbed, who were reported earlier as a main-stage attraction, will now occupy the headlining slot on the second stage. No additional acts could be confirmed at press time. The sixth annual Ozzfest kicks off June 8 in Chicago; Crazy Town last took top billing on a tour in November, when fellow Ozzfest 2000 alums Shuvel and Slaves on Dope served as openers.

Crazy Town last took top billing in November, when fellow Ozzfest 2000 alums Shuvel and Slaves on Dope served as openers.

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(hed) pe Shoot Video For Song On 'Graceland' Soundtrack

17 Jan 2001 07:59:00 EST

Disc also features songs by Filter, Uncle Kracker, Crystal Method.
By Teri vanHorn

(hed) pe
Photo: Jive

(hed) pe frontman Jahred Shaine works his magic to bring a motley crew of characters together as a band in the group's new video for "Killing Time." Shaine (born Paolo Gomes) plays a witch doctor in the clip, while guitarist Chizad plays a gas station attendant, drummer B.C. a short-order cook, guitarist Westyle an auto driver, bassist Mawk a disgruntled boyfriend and DJ Product a homeless guy.

(Hed) p.e. shot the video over the three-day weekend at Tejon Ranch in Lancastar, California. "Killing Time" is the second single from their second album, Broke, and the lead single from the soundtrack to the upcoming Kevin Costner/Kurt Russell flick "3,000 Miles to Graceland." The film's director, Demian Lichtenstein, also shot the video.

The soundtrack hits stores February 20, and the movie hits theaters three days later.

The rest of the soundtrack includes, in no particular order, Filter's "It's Gonna Kill Me," Nothingface's "Bleeder," A3's "Mansion on the Hill," Southern Culture on the Skids' "Pass the Hatchet," Hednoize's "Loaded Gun," Hardknox's "Come in Hard," Uncle Kracker's "Who's Your Uncle?," Kenny Wayne Shepherd's "In 2 Deep," Crystal Method's "Vapor Trail," BT's "Smartbomb," Elvis Presley's "Such a Night," Corrosion of Conformity's "Stare Too Long," Spineshank's "New Disease" and Bender's "Angel Dust."

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Papa Roach Tap (hed) p.e., Linkin Park For Headlining Tour

7 Nov 2000 07:55:00 EST

Papa Roach's Coby Dick

Papa Roach will kick off a headlining U.S. tour with (hed) p.e. and Linkin Park on November 25 after they finish the first leg of Limp Bizkit's Anger Management Tour with Eminem and Xzibit.

The outing will kick off at the Del Mar Activity Center, near San Diego. As of press time, (hed) p.e. are booked for the entire tour, while Linkin Park have been confirmed for only three shows, according to spokespeople for the three bands. More Linkin Park supporting dates are expected to be announced.

Papa Roach have also been added to the Rock in Rio for a Better World lineup along with Oasis. The ever-growing bill already boasts Guns N' Roses, Sting, the Deftones, R.E.M., Foo Fighters, 'NSync, Britney Spears and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (see "Guns N' Roses To Play Rock In Rio"). The Brazilian music festival will run from January 12 through 21.

Papa Roach still have two weeks to go on the Anger Management Tour. There's no word yet on when or if Friday's canceled Indianapolis performance — the second date that Limp Bizkit have missed due to Fred Durst's throat problems — will be rescheduled (see "Durst Injures Vocal Cords; 'Anger Management' Date Rescheduled").

Papa Roach tour dates:

11/25 - Del Mar, CA @ Del Mar Activity Center
11/26 - Tucson, AZ @ Tucson Convention Center
11/28 - McAllen, TX @ Villa Real Convention Center
11/29 - Corpus Christi, TX @ Centre Theatre
11/30 - Austin, TX @ Austin Music Hall
12/01 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
12/02 - Joplin, MO @ Joplin Memorial Hall
12/04 - Knoxville, TN @ Knoxville Civic Coliseum
12/05 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall (w/ Linkin Park)
12/06 - Toledo, OH @ Toledo Sports Arena (w/ Linkin Park)
12/08 - St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
12/09 - Chicago, IL @ United Center
12/10 - Des Moines, IA @ Super Toad (w/ Linkin Park)
12/11 - Wichita, KS @ TBD
12/12 - Kansas City, MO @ TBD
12/14 - Seattle, WA @ TBD
12/15 - San Francisco, CA @ Live 105 Radio Show
12/16 - TBD
12/17 - TBD
12/19 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
12/20 - Reno, NV @ TBD
12/21 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Civic Auditorium
12/22 - Fresno, CA @ Rainbow Ballroom

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(hed) p.e. Singer Released On Bond After Drug Bust

30 Oct 2000 06:30:00 EST

(hed) p.e.'s Jahred Shaine

(hed) p.e. singer Jahred Shaine is out on $1,500 bond after being arrested Friday night in Waterbury, Connecticut, for possession of marijuana, local police said.

The singer for the Southern California rock-rap group was busted at a Quality Inn hotel after signing for a Federal Express package that allegedly contained one ounce of marijuana, according to a source close to the band who requested anonymity.

Officers in the vice and intelligence division arrested Shaine (born Paolo Gomes) at about 3 p.m., said Lt. Richard McGraw, who could not confirm details of the arrest.

Shaine is due in Waterbury Superior Court on January 5.

The arrest will not affect the group's tour with P.O.D., which is scheduled to stop at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. on Monday (October 30).

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(hed) pe

P.O.D. Taps (hed) pe For "Kings" Tour

4 Oct 2000 04:20:00 EDT

P.O.D.

With their major label debut, "The Fundamental Elements Of Southtown," sailing past gold and on toward platinum status, the spiritually-minded rockers of P.O.D. have lined up a headlining tour with (hed) pe, Project 86, and Linkin Park.

Dubbed the "Kings Of The Game" tour, the trek gets rolling on October 23 in Cincinnati and currently has dates lined up through late November. Additional West Coast dates are expected to be announced soon.

The tour will find P.O.D. continuing to carry the flag for "Southtown," which has been in stores for over a year. Since the album's release, the band has made the rounds with Primus, Sevendust, Staind, and Ozzfest 2000. The album gained some serious steam with the release of the single "Rock The Party," and the group's next radio offering will come courtesy of its contribution to the soundtrack of the upcoming Adam Sandler flick "Little Nicky."

Meanwhile, (hed) pe will use the tour to drum up support for its recently released second album, "Broke." The group has promoted the effort with a video for "Bartender," as well as a slot on this summer's Tattoo The Earth tour.

If you want to catch P.O.D. and (hed) pe with Project 86 and Linkin Park, here's where to find them:

10/23 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
10/26 - Providence, RI @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
10/27 - Waterbury, CT @ City Limits
10/28 - Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights
10/29 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
10/30 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
11/2 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
11/3 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
11/4 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest Club
11/5 - Forest City, IA @ Waldorf College
11/7 - Detroit, MI @ State Theatre
11/8 - Cleveland, OH @ Odeon Concert Club
11/9 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Metropol
11/10 - New York, NY @ Roseland
11/11 - Norfolk, VA @ The Boathouse
11/13 - Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
11/14 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ House Of Blues
11/15 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
11/19 - Dallas, TX @ Bronco Bowl

For a full-length interview with P.O.D., check out the MTV News Online feature "P.O.D.: Beyond Belief."

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Spineshank, Slaves On Dope Tapped For (hed) pe Tour

31 Aug 2000 12:00:00 EDT

Spineshank's Jonny Santos

After wrapping up its current run opening up for Papa Roach, (hed) pe is set to launch its own headlining tour with Spineshank and Slaves On Dope.

The band's stint with Papa Roach ends on September 15, and the following night (hed) pe will meet with its new tourmates in Spartanburg, South Carolina to launch its own trek.

After making the rounds on Ozzfest in 1999, (hed) pe spent this summer on the road with the Tattoo The Earth tour before hooking up with Papa Roach. The roadwork seems to be paying off, as (hed) pe's latest effort, "Broke," will debut at number 63 on next week's "Billboard" album chart.

While (hed) pe will continue to push "Broke" on the road, Spineshank will be touring to drum up advance buzz for "The Height Of Callousness," which hits stores on October 10. The band spent at least a small portion of the summer playing the Tattoo The Earth tour as well before leaving the tour to shoot a new video and a part in an upcoming Lou Diamond Phillips movie (see "Spineshank Readies Film, Video, Album").

For Slaves On Dope, the tour gives the band the chance to take its music to the people before the release of its upcoming first effort for the Sharon Osbourne-owned Divine Recordings.

If you're up for it, here's where you can catch (hed) pe, Spineshank, and Slaves On Dope (venues and additional dates have yet to be confirmed):

9/16 - Spartanburg, SC
9/18 - St. Louis, MO
9/19 - Des Moines, IA
9/21 - Colorado Springs, CO
9/22 - Albuquerque, NM
9/24 - Las Vegas, NV
9/25 - San Diego, CA
9/26 - San Jose, CA
9/27 - Sacramento, CA
9/29 - Portland, OR
9/30 - Seattle, WA

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Papa Roach Taps (hed) pe, TapRoot For Tour

8 Aug 2000 05:00:00 EDT

Papa Roach "Last Resort"

After its run with Korn and Powerman 5000 wraps up later this month, "Total Request Live" mainstay Papa Roach will hook up with (hed) pe and TapRoot for a string of North American dates.

Still riding high on the success of the single "Last Resort," the California outfit will try to push the infestation even further with a stretch of shows that kicks off on August 22 in Quebec and keeps the band busy through mid-September.

As we previously reported, the run should correspond with the arrival of the second video from Papa Roach's "Infest" album, "Broken Home." The band is once again teaming with director Marcos Siega (the man behind "Last Resort") for the clip, which the group promises will be "dark, deeper, a little more emotional" (see "Papa Roach Taps Siega For 'Broken Home' Video").

The trek will also kick off just as (hed) pe delivers its latest effort, "Broke," to stores. The album arrives on August 22 and finds the band tinkering with the extended moniker "(hed)planet earth."

TapRoot won't join in until September 3, as the band is still toiling away on the second stage of Ozzfest 2000 in support of its recently released debut album, "Gift."

If you want to catch Papa Roach on the road, here's where to look:

8/22 - Quebec City, QC @ Agora Du Vieux-Port De Quebec w/ (hed) pe
8/23 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House w/ (hed) pe
8/25 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theater w/ (hed) pe
8/26 - Chicago, IL @ Cubby Bear Lounge w/ (hed) pe
8/29 - Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall w/ (hed) pe
8/30 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza w/ (hed) pe
9/1 - Boston, MA @ The Roxy w/ (hed) pe
9/2 - Providence, RI @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel w/ (hed) pe
9/3 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater w/ (hed) pe and TapRoot
9/4 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony w/ (hed) pe and TapRoot
9/5 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero w/ (hed) pe and TapRoot
9/11 - Jacksonville, FL @ The Edge w/ (hed) pe and TapRoot
9/12 - Tampa, FL @ The Masquerade w/ (hed) pe and TapRoot
9/13 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Chili Pepper w/ (hed) pe and TapRoot
9/14 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House Of Blues w/ (hed) pe and TapRoot
9/15 - Charleston, SC @ Music Farm w/ (hed) pe and TapRoot

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Fear Factory Bassist To Help Out (hed) pe

22 Jun 1999 02:00:00 EDT

(hed) pe

When the members of (hed) pe take the stage tonight in Toronto, they'll do so without bass player Mawk, but they have found a suitable replacement.

Fear Factory bassist Christian Olde Wolbers will fill in for Tuesday night's show, which sees Fear Factory and (hed) pe sharing the bill with Static-X. Apparently Mawk has trouble with border crossings and will not be able to join the band in Toronto.

All three bands are spending the summer on Ozzfest '99's second stage and are playing a few dates while the tour takes a one-week break. Fear Factory, (hed) pe, and Static-X will play Gotham City in Rochester, New York on Wednesday before Ozzfest resumes on Friday in Detroit.

Here's where you can catch the complete Ozzfest lineup (which also includes Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie, Deftones, Slayer, Primus, System Of A Down, Slipknot, Drain STH, and others):

6/25 - Detroit, MI @ Pine Knob Amphitheater
6/27 - Detroit, MI @ Pine Knob Amphitheater
6/29 - Indianapolis, IN @ Deer Creek Amphitheater
7/1 - Minneapolis, MN @ Float-ride Amphitheater
7/3 - Milwaukee, WI @ Alpine Valley
7/5 - Chicago, IL @ World Music Theater
7/7 - St. Louis, MO @ Riverport Amphitheater
7/9 - Kansas City, MO @ Sandstone Amphitheater
7/11 - San Antonio, TX @ Retama Park
7/13 - Dallas, TX @ Starplex Amphitheater
7/16 - Vancouver, BC @ Thunderbird
7/17 - Seattle, WA @ The Gorge
7/20 - San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheater
7/22 - Phoenix, AZ @ Desert Sky Amphitheater
7/24 - San Bernadino, CA @ Blockbuster Pavilion

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System Of A Down Hooks Up With Fear Factory, (hed) pe For Tour

15 Jan 1999 07:55:00 EST

System of a Down's Serj Tankian

With a little help from Fear Factory, (hed)pe, and Static X, the Armenian-American new jack metal outfit System of a Down is making the rounds on a tour that will keep the band busy through mid-March.

System of a Down is already on the road with fellow hard-driving rockers Fear Factory as part of a tour that rolls through Atlanta and Carrboro, North Carolina this weekend before rolling into New York on Monday and Tuesday. The band will continue to tour with that formidable double bill through early February when, after a brief break, System of a Down will hook up with (hed) pe and Static X.

Fans may have caught System of a Down on last year's Ozzfest outing, or on the "South Park" soundtrack where the band turns up with Mase, Puffy and Li'l Kim on "Will They Die 4 You."

If you want to see them in the flesh, here's where to look: