Sting performs at Madison Square Garden on Thursday
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage.com

NEW YORK — Sting marked the end of the year-and-a-half-long Police reunion tour Thursday night by shaving off his tour beard before the marveling eyes of a sold-out house at Madison Square Garden. I think that's what was going on anyway.

After an hour of vintage hits, the bassist and his accumulation of salt-and-pepper facial scrub left the stage — along with bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, of course — to await the traditional audience demand for an encore. After a few minutes, the big video screen above the stage blinked back on, and we saw Sting, now fetchingly bare-chested, stretched out in a backstage makeup chair while two women with electric clippers set about buzzing off the famous beard. Out front, the crowd watched in something like wonder. You could feel their hopes rise after the women reduced the foliage to a modest stubble and snicked off their trimmers; and you could feel them subside again when one of the amateur barbers slopped a large handful of shaving cream onto Sting's face and the process continued, this time with razors. I thought to myself, "People will pay to see anything."

The whole ritual took less time than one might have feared, although more than one would have preferred, and when it was over, the band returned and played for another half hour. After 150 shows, they were in top form. (I would personally pay money to watch Copeland geniusing around on drums in an otherwise empty room.) The 18,000-some people on hand — who stayed on their feet through the whole concert — loved it loudly.

There was one other unusual moment. It had come earlier, when, in the middle of a song, three girls stepped out onto the side of the stage and began shimmying with abandon. These were not the sort of dancers one usually sees disporting themselves behind singers who aren't actually singing. No, these were clearly civilians. And when they were joined by two boys entering from the other side of the stage, it became clear that they were all offspring of the stars. It was very sweet. When the song ended and the kids scampered away, Sting stepped to the mike and said, "Between us we must have 21 children." Then he said — and this was the unusual part — "We've been on tour for 30 years." I don't know what anyone else made of this, but I wondered to myself, "What, uh, does he mean by that?"

• The Police
• Sting

Britney Spears
Photo: Hot Shots Worldwide / Splash News

Britney Spears' no-show at her court-ordered deposition on Wednesday will be addressed in court "probably within the next 30 days," Kevin Federline's lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan told UsMagazine.com, and according to The Associated Press, the attorney will file papers requesting that sanctions be imposed on her before the next court date, on January 23. "This can be done with her participation or without it. But it doesn't help anyone not to obey court orders," he told UsMagazine.com. "We will go forward, and she can respond in any way that addresses her failure to appear." The lawyer had previously told People.com that he was planning to ask the court for "some kind of remedy" regarding the matter, calling the singer's absence at the deposition a "willful non-appearance." According to Kaplan, he learned moments after the singer was due to arrive at the deposition that she wouldn't be going due to a "medical condition." "But she was in fact out later that day and night," he told People.com. "It's not fourth grade, where you get a doctor's note and it's all OK. She was ordered to attend. And if there's a legitimate reason for her not to attend, she would have to establish that." The attorney said he would ask the court to have Spears pay for expenses incurred due to the missed deposition, but he added, "We're not interested in punishing her. We're interested in getting facts." ...

Radiohead apparently have a fan in Jay-Z. The hip-hop mogul told Billboard.com that the band's In Rainbows release scheme "was a genius idea. I'm sure someone [in R&B/hip-hop] will follow that model," he said, adding that he would be willing to follow in their footsteps. On a similar note, Jay addressed the rumors about him leaving Def Jam. "The model of selling CDs has changed," he said. "So doing things the typical way is not in the best interests of anyone and not exciting for me. My whole thing is, how do we invest in the future? If everyone is committed to doing that, then I'm sure there's a deal to be made." In the interview, Jigga also beamed about Feist ("I'm riding with [The Reminder] right now. Her voice is so distinctive and beautiful") and Amy Winehouse ("I'd love to work with her again. I hope she keeps herself together"), and revealed that he'll put out another album "if I'm inspired. I have one album left, right? If I'm inspired to make that album, then my contract is done and I'm not in the music business anymore, as far as being an artist. I can still make music. ... Who knows? The possibilities are endless — and without any pressure to sell anything, I could make whatever and do whatever with my music. Maybe the songs would just play in [my] 40/40 [Club]." ...

"Hannah Montana" tickets are so hard to come by these days, even Lindsay Lohan can't score 'em. According to People.com, the actress phoned into Las Vegas radio station Mix 94.1 on Friday (December 14) in an effort to get tix for her friend's nieces — the station's morning show had been giving away tickets to people who were able to get celebrities to call into the show. While on air, Lohan — who left rehab in October — talked about how she's been lately, saying, "I think my life is different now, and it's changed, and I'm growing up. I've gone through a lot, and I'm just a different person now." She later added, "It's amazing, everything's going so well." She also gave an update on her recent recording sessions: "I've been in the studio, and it's going really well, and I'm really excited, 'cause it's going to be more urban pop." Finally, Lohan revealed that she wants to head to Africa on a humanitarian mission in the near future. "I really love children," she said, "and it would be nice to give back." ...

50 Cent might have more beef coming his way — GZA dissed him during his club show at the Knitting Factory in New York on Thursday night, saying, Fif "ain't got no mother----ing lyrics," according to RollingStone.com. He also reportedly paid tribute to his fallen Wu-Tang Clan group mate Ol' Dirty Bastard at the gig, the first of a two-night residency during which he is performing his classic Liquid Swords album in its entirety. ...

Just in case you forgot that Tom Morello has a lot of friends, check out a partial list of the guests who performed with him Thursday night in Hollywood at his final Nightwatchman show of the year, according to RollingStone.com: Slash, Serj Tankian, Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, Perry Farrell and his Satellite Party, Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, Filter frontman Richard Patrick, Mötley Crüe's Mick Mars and actor Tim Robbins. Among the songs Morello and the gang reportedly tore into were covers of Crüe, Who, Phil Ochs, Thin Lizzy and Woody Guthrie tunes. ...

Despite UsMagazine.com's Thursday report that Jessica Simpson's "Blonde Ambition" flick is going straight to DVD, People.com says the movie actually get a limited theatrical run in the actress' home state of Texas. "Blonde" will be shown in eight theaters starting December 21, and if it does well, could see a wider release, according to the site. The DVD of the comedy — which co-stars another Texas native, Luke Wilson — will hit stores January 22. ... The reunion tour by the Police was the highest-grossing tour of 2007, raking in more than $212 million while selling 1.8 million tickets, according to Billboard Boxscore. It was followed by another boomer-riffic reunion tour — Genesis came in second on grosses of $129 million, followed by Justin Timberlake, who took in $126.8 million and drew more than 1.6 million fans worldwide. Also making the top 10 was Christina Aguilera, who nosed in at #9 on grosses of $48.1 million. Despite the massive grosses by the top acts, overall the magazine reports that North American concert dollars and attendance were down double digits for the year, with grosses slipping 10.2 percent and attendance down 19.2 percent. ...

In a scene that could have been cut from one of those 1980s John Hughes teen-angst movies, a custodian's impromptu after-hours karaoke performance of the Guns N' Roses classic "Welcome to the Jungle" at a Roxbury, Connecticut, high school almost ended in disaster. According to AP, police say a Booth Free School teacher, who was working after-hours and thought she was alone in the building, barricaded herself in her classroom when she heard someone singing the lines, "You're in the jungle, baby! You're gonna die!," over the loudspeaker, and thought it was a threat directed at her. Six troopers and three police dogs raced to the scene and found three teens — one of whom is a school custodian — who had been messing with the public-address system. The three were cuffed for 15 minutes during the investigation, and no charges were filed in the end. ...

Tegan and Sara will hit the pavement with Northern State for a monthlong European trek starting February 22 in England and winding down March 20 in the Netherlands. ... In other tour news, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings have lined up a bunch of dates for January and early February. The soul/funk squad will begin its jaunt January 3 in Florida and bring it to a close February 2 in Nashville. ... Paramore, New Found Glory, the Starting Line, Bayside, Saves the Day and Chiodos will light up next year's Bamboozle Left fest, set to go down April 5-6 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, California. Two-day passes are on sale now. ... Chiodos have also been added to the bill for Linkin Park's upcoming U.S. tour with Coheed and Cambria. The trek launches February 12 in Omaha, Nebraska, and wraps March 10 in Sacramento, California. ...

Kill Rock Stars, Touch and Go and other indie labels have written an angry letter to Rolling Stone in response to the Camel cigarette controversy that was revealed last week. The labels — as well as state attorneys general and anti-smoking activists — are upset about a Camel ad that appeared alongside a cartoon-heavy indie-rock feature in the magazine's November 15 issue. "[We] wish to share our indignation regarding [the] pull-out editorial, which featured the names of our artists in conjunction with an ad for Camel cigarettes," reads the letter. "This editorial cartoon gives every impression of being part and parcel of the advertisement wrapped around it. The use of an artist's name to promote a brand or product should be done only with the artist's explicit consent, something that was neither solicited nor obtained from the labels or bands. ... Many of the bands named, and the labels that represent them, are very unhappy with the implication that they have any involvement with R.J. Reynolds and Camel cigarettes. We ask that Rolling Stone apologize for blurring the line between editorial and advertisement, and in doing so, implying that the bands named support the product being advertised." Skin Graft, Lovepump United, Lucky Madison, 5RC, Audio Dregs and Fryk Beat also signed the letter. ...

Side One Dummy's second annual Rock to Roll charity concert — which was held Tuesday and featured performances by Flogging Molly, the Bouncing Souls and others — raked in more than $35,000 for UCP Wheels For Humanity. The group helps people with disabilities become more self-sufficient and mobile. ... Sugarcult will stage their fifth annual Christmas Toys for Tots Charity show Thursday at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. The benefit is being put on in conjunction with Toys for Tots, and attendees are asked to drop off an unwrapped toy at the Sugarcult merch table — those who do will get a gift bag of swag items from the band and other show sponsors. The gig will also feature New Year's Day, Lorene Drive, Them Terribles and Rocket. ... Speaking of rockets, Rocket From the Crypt, who ended their career with a Halloween gig in their San Diego hometown two years ago, are getting some posthumous love via a CD/DVD set immortalizing the show. R.I.P. drops February 26. But while RFTC are dead, John Reis is carrying on with a new project also featuring former Hot Snakes bandmates Gar Wood and Jason Kourkounis. The act — the name of which still hasn't been revealed — will dish up a yet-untitled album on March 25 and support it with a tour. ...

Tori Amos might seem genteel enough, but that wasn't the case at her concert in San Diego on Wednesday night, when she lashed out at a pair of fans who were disturbing the performance. According to a video on TMZ.com, the singer/songwriter ripped into two girls, saying, "It's a privilege to sit in the front row. I reserve those seats for people who appreciate music. Get the f--- out!" Her label reportedly responded with a statement, saying, "Tori doesn't sell front row seats to her shows. She'll pick fans that are in the back row and she will upgrade them. It is a privilege to get picked. Apparently these two girls were on their cell phones all night. ... It was her sticking up for her other fans that missed out on the opportunity." ...

Jack's back: Singer/songwriter Jack Johnson issued a new single, "If I Had Eyes," on Thursday through iTunes, with customers who preorder his February 5 album, Sleep Through the Static, getting the track for free. The LP was made using solar energy at Johnson's eco-friendly studios in Los Angeles, Billboard reports, and similarly, he will launch his next tour on Earth Day — April 22 — in his native Hawaii. ... Speaking of iTunes, Silverchair are putting out a new release exclusively through the online store on Tuesday. The Greatest View EP features four songs, including the title track — which was previously available on the band's 2003 disc, Diorama — as well as a pair of videos. ...

Score one for Nicole Kidman — the "Golden Compass" actress has accepted unspecified damages from U.K. newspaper The Daily Telegraph for falsely reporting she had breached the terms of a contract, according to AP. The paper had said Kidman — who has a promotional contract with Chanel No. 5 perfume — was carrying a bottle of a competitor's perfume while in London to hype her new flick, but her lawyer said the source of the report had invented the story. The Daily Telegraph is reportedly paying the actress' legal costs, as well as "substantial" damages. ... Johnny Depp might play a serial killer in his new flick "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," but he's actually a pretty nice guy — Autograph Magazine has named him the most gracious celebrity, in terms of signing autographs, for the third year in a row. Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Russell Crowe (yup, you read that right) followed behind Depp, while on the flipside, Will Ferrell, Scarlett Johansson and Tobey Maguire were named the worst celebrity signers. ...

Liza Minnelli collapsed onstage in Sweden during a show Wednesday and was later rushed to the hospital for medical treatment. A statement from her publicist Liz Rosenberg that appeared on the singer's Web site said she "became very ill shortly after the show began. ... She will now be seeing her doctor to determine what caused her dizziness and to collapse." After performing three songs at a holiday concert, Minnelli dropped her microphone and stumbled offstage, according to multiple reports. ...

Cast King, a country artist whose music will appear in Gus Van Sant's upcoming flick "Paranoid Park," died Thursday at his home in Alabama. He was 81. Locust Music, his label, is trying to raise money to help King's family pay for medical and funeral expenses — go to its Web site for more information.

12.13.07

Britney Spears' "Piece of Me" video is in place, even if it won't actually be out until January at earliest — People.com posted a sneak preview of it on Thursday (December 13). In the clip, her second one for Blackout, the singer and her dancers are chased by the paparazzi and duck into a club in an effort to escape. (Check out snaps from the "Piece of Me" video shoot right here.) Don't forget that Britney has reached out to fans to direct a separate "Piece of Me" video for her, with the winning clip to air December 20 on "TRL." For the "Britney Spears Wants a Piece of You" contest, MTV has opened its vaults of the footage shot of the pop singer over the years, and fans can access the goods via the MTV Video Remixer. Pick the shots you like, mash them up and hit "send" — clips can be up to 3:34 in length or shorter. The grand-prize winner also will receive a brand new Haier Ibiza Rhapsody device along with a one-year subscription to Rhapsody, as well as the entire catalog of Spears' CDs and DVDs released in the U.S. ...

Scott Weiland's DUI case will be continued on January 17, according to TMZ.com — the Velvet Revolver frontman was due to be arraigned Thursday (December 13). Maybe it would have helped if the rocker had gotten that news Wednesday night, when he allegedly ranted onstage at Velvet Revolver's show in Hollywood, the site reports. Weiland reportedly said his group is not the "Mormon Tabernacle f---ing Choir" and, a source allegedly told the site, steered clear of his bandmates backstage after the show and didn't have his picture taken. ... Scott Stapp is off the hook — a domestic battery charge against the rocker has been dropped after he completed terms of an agreement, including his required participation in anger management counseling, according to The Associated Press. The original charge was aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony but it was reduced to a misdemeanor on Monday. Stapp was arrested in May after his wife accused him of taking drugs and throwing a bottle at her. As part of his agreement, he also underwent a substance abuse evaluation and agreed not to have any weapons in his possession. ...

So much for Jessica Simpson's "Blonde Ambition" — the actress' flick, inspired by the '80s classic "Working Girl," is going straight to DVD, according to UsMagazine.com. The comedy, which co-stars Luke Wilson, will hit stores January 22. ... If you think that lock of John Lennon's hair went for a lot of money — it was auctioned for $48,000 on Wednesday — wait till you hear how much a London dealer threw down for a handwritten, illustrated J.K. Rowling book: a cool 1.95 million pounds, the U.S. equivalent of $3.98 million, according to Reuters. The copy of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" — a book that is referenced in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — was auctioned Thursday in London, and the price is the most anyone has ever paid for a modern literary manuscript at auction. All proceeds will go to Rowling's charity the Children's Voice, which helps vulnerable kids across Europe. ...

A Louisiana judge denied a request from C-Murder to travel to Texas for Pimp C's funeral on Thursday (December 13). According to an AP report, the judge would not make an allowance for the trip for Murder (born Corey Miller), who is currently under house arrest awaiting a retrial for the 2002 murder of a teen inside a nightclub. ...

Ne-Yo is heading to Wal-Mart — but not to go holiday shopping. Instead, the R&B singer will be at the retail chain's location in Torrance, California, on Friday to help with a toy drive for inner-city children. ... Coldplay have unearthed their cover of the Pretenders' Christmas-themed "2,000 Miles" and posted it on Coldplay.com. The group recorded the song — which benefited Future Forests and Stop Handgun Violence — in 2003 and made it available for a limited time as a paid download on their site. "We love Christmas songs, but every time we try and write one it's awful," Chris Martin wrote in an accompanying post. "So we often cover them — well, once or twice, actually. In fact, the song I would most like to have written is 'Fairytale of New York' by de bloody Pogues of Ireland." ...

Shakira elbowed her way onto the list of Golden Globe nominees — her "Love in the Time of Cholera" contribution earned a nod for Best Original Song. "I composed 'Despedida' with all my love for [Gabriel] Garcia Márquez, who is for me a true genius and the most eloquent spokesman of my people," she said in a statement, referring to the author who wrote the book on which the film was based. Eddie Vedder's "Guaranteed" from "Into the Wild" also made the cut, as did the "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" tune "Walk Hard," which was penned and performed by John C. Reilly, Marshall Crenshaw, Jake Kasdan and Judd Apatow. Similarly, three "Wild" Vedder songs and a trio of "Walk Hard" cuts have made the Oscar committee's list of tracks being considered for Best Original Song, according to a weblog on Variety.com. Fifty-nine tunes — including ones by John Legend, John Mayer, the Flaming Lips, Sondre Lerche, Rufus Wainwright, Sheryl Crow and Fountains of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger — are eligible for the award. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will screen film clips featuring the tracks on January 15, after which the actual nominees for the Best Original Song category will be determined. ...

R. Kelly's Friday night concert at the Forum in Los Angeles will be protested by black activists calling for action against the singer, who is facing 14 counts of child pornography, the Los Angeles Times reports. "It's like pulling teeth to get people to talk about this," one activist, Jasmyne Cannick, told the Times. "It's a challenge to get the black community to even discuss it. They're acting like he doesn't have 14 counts of child pornography against him. ... We're all acting like we don't have daughters and nieces and little sisters." But Kelly's manager, Derrell McDavid, didn't seem too worried when he spoke to the newspaper. "There's been no protests on this tour," he said. "It's just been a warm embrace and sold-out shows." ... Are the Smashing Pumpkins already working on new material? It seems that way — but this time around, fans won't have to wait nearly as long. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin wrote in a blog post on their Web site that they're in the midst of tracking, and hinted that the Pumpkins might have new material to release as early as January 1. "We are back in the studio recording some songs for a possible release worldwide," he wrote. "Look for these around the first of the year." ...

Snoop Dogg's Youth Football League is still going strong, and the rapper has plotted a third benefit show to raise funds for the project, which helps kids stay off the streets. "The kids in the league depend on me to keep it going, and giving 100 percent of the sales from this concert is my way of making it happen for all of them," he said in a statement about the show, which will take place Saturday at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. All proceeds will go to the league and be used for new uniforms, transportation, lodging and food for the upcoming Snoop Bowl, taking place during Super Bowl weekend in Arizona. ... Linkin Park's ambitious Music for Relief project has taken on another cause: raising money and awareness about the humanitarian crisis that has resulted in Bangladesh in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr. The outreach organization has launched an eBay auction featuring items by LP, Avril Lavigne, Smashing Pumpkins and Deftones, with all proceeds going to the international relief group Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere. ... George Clooney and Don Cheadle were honored in Rome on Thursday with a peace award for their efforts to raise awareness about the Darfur humanitarian crisis, according to AP. Also Thursday, they urged world leaders to provide helicopters for a peacekeeping force, partially led by the United Nations, that will take over security in the Sudanese area later in December. ...

Look, up in the sky, it's the Spice Girls! The reunited group has revealed the name of its Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet: Spice One. The name was chosen via an online contest, and the winner — who hails from Brazil — recently joined the ladies at their recent ceremony at Los Angeles International Airport. ... Three Thom Yorke remixes that were previously available on his Web site will be issued February 4 in the U.K. in the form of 12-inches. The remixes are by the Field, Four Tet and others. ... Lupe Fiasco has filled up his calendar with concert dates, promotional appearances in support of his sophomore album, Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool," which drops Tuesday. LupeFiasco.com will be relaunched that day, on which Fiasco will also play a gig at New York's the Fillmore at Irving Plaza. After that, he'll stage a December 20 in-store gig at the Bassment in his Chicago hometown; a "MySpace Presents the Release" show in Hawaii on December 27; and then set out on a tour that starts January 10 in Portland, Oregon, and ends March 25 in Fredricksburg, Virginia. In the meantime, stream The Cool in its entirety on MTV's "The Leak." ...

While less than 20,000 of the reported millions who wanted to see Monday's Led Zeppelin reunion in London were actually able to attend the gig, millions more briefly relived the experience vicariously through bootleg online clips. But, almost as fast as those clips showed up on sites like YouTube, they were reportedly taken down at the request of the band's management. Or perhaps at the request of Warner Bros., which owns the publishing rights to Zeppelin's catalog, according to Portfolio.com, which reported that individual clips began disappearing from YouTube on Tuesday afternoon "due to a copyright claim by Warner Music Group," which, incidentally, has a licensing deal with YouTube for its content. However, the story got even weirder Thursday morning, when the Silicon Alley Insider revealed that a Brooklyn, New York, company called "GrayZone," which bills itself as the "bootbusters of the entertainment industry," took the initiative in sending out the takedown notices. According to the Alley Insider story, GrayZone apologized for erroneously issuing the notices and explained, "The error is ours alone. We acted without authorization from the band or Warner Music Group. Unfortunately, an automated system mistakenly attributed the removal of the content to a copyright claim by Warner Music Group. That was inaccurate. We have informed YouTube of the error and we regret any inconvenience this may have caused." Speculation had surfaced that the reason for the takedown might be tied to an expected DVD release of the event at some point next year. ... In related news, Robert Plant will tour next year, but not necessarily with Zep. He'll make the rounds with Alison Krauss, with whom he collaborated for their October release Raising Sand. The pair will trek through Europe in May. ...

There's a new "Jackass" movie coming, and you won't even have to leave the house to see it. The 64-minute "Jackass 2.5" will stream for free from Wednesday until December 31 at JackassWorld.com with previously unreleased footage and interviews. The movie, touted as the first-ever studio-backed feature streamed entirely online, is available to anyone over 17 who downloads the Microsoft Silverlight media player, which can be found at Blockbuster.JackassWorld.com. ... Janet Jackson has finally settled on a title, release date and lead single for her follow-up to last year's 20 Y.O. Discipline will drop February 26 and be preceded by the first single, the Rodney Jerkins-produced "Feedback," which impacts January 7. Ne-Yo, Jermaine Dupri, Stargate, The-Dream and others also lent their talents to the veteran singer's 10th studio effort, which was executive produced by Antonio "L.A." Reid. ... The Liars have lined up a headlining stint for next year as they continue to support their self-titled release, which came out in August. The band will set sail January 25 in San Francisco and play about a month's worth of gigs that will wind down with a February 22 show in Los Angeles.

• Britney Spears
• Jay-Z
• Radiohead
• Feist
• Lindsay Lohan

Justin Timberlake
Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images

Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds came out way back in September 2006, but he doesn't want you to forget about him this holiday season. The singer has compiled two new gifts for fans: a special edition of the album and a new DVD to boot. FutureSex/LoveSounds Deluxe Edition, due November 27, will feature his "Until the End of Time" duet with Beyoncé and other to-be-named bonus tracks featuring big-name artists. The reissue will also house a bonus DVD with unreleased concert footage, making-of clips, director commentaries and more. The double-DVD "FutureSex/LoveShow Live From Madison Square Garden," on the other hand, will drop a week earlier — and only be available at Best Buy. Expect to see the August 15 concert in full on the disc, as well as before and after footage, song-by-song commentary from JT, backstage clips, interviews and more. ...

Britney Spears is inviting her fans — the ones who haven't been too turned off by VMA performance or new video, at least — to an open casting call for dancers on Monday (October 15) at the Millennium Dance Complex in North Hollywood, California. The tryouts will be held from 5-9 p.m., with "all styles welcome," according to "Access Hollywood." The tryouts will be for an upcoming tour and her next video, although it's not yet known for which song it will be. Spears reportedly planned to hold the auditions last week but was a no-show. ...

Lindsay Lohan has filed a countersuit against a man who accused her of negligence and drinking when she hit his parked van in West Hollywood, California, in October 2005. According to CBS' Los Angeles TV affiliate, the actress is asking for more than $75,000 in damages for the repair of her car and the cost of renting other vehicles after she hit the vehicle owned by Raymundo Ortega, who subsequently sued Lohan for at least $200,000 in damages. She also says Ortega made an illegal U-turn and that he and an unspecified number of defendants were "negligent in the ownership, operation, repairs and maintenance" of his van, according to the suit. As for Ortega's claim that she drove drunk, Lohan says the California Highway Patrol report — which his lawyers have called hearsay — does not support that allegation. The suit says Ortega made the drunk-driving claim "as a battering ram to force a settlement." A trial date for both suits has been set for April 7. ...

50 Cent got real with a roomful of high school students in Connecticut on Friday, which was named "50 Cent Curtis Jackson Day" in Bridgeport, the Connecticut Post reports. More than 50 juniors and seniors from three high schools were invited to Mayor John M. Fabrizi's office for what they were initially told was a discussion with city and school officials about services for young people, but they got a surprise visit from 50, who told them to look past some of his lyrics and judge him by the man he has become. "I say in one of my songs I hate cops. I don't hate cops," he said, reportedly nodding to Bridgeport Chief of Police Bryan T. Norwood. "But I am expressing the feelings of a young boy who sees the cops take his brother away, and hates them for it." When asked how he could rectify his beliefs with some of his other lyrics, he said, "Rap is very competitive. You can't show your vulnerabilities, or another artist will use that against you in their content. Also, you don't paint the whole picture at one time, with one color. I want to show more of my character, but it has to come out over time." 50, who has been in Bridgeport filming a new movie, "Righteous Kill," said he's been wanting to get involved in the city — so he presented a $25,000 check from his G-Unity Foundation to an education program called Hall Neighborhood House. During the events, 50 made two more interesting remarks — he suggested his feud with Kanye West was actually just a marketing ploy ("His label and my label are both owned by Universal Music Group"), and replied to a question about his moniker with a pun: "50 Cent is a metaphor. It means change." ...

Ashlee Simpson might have broken out a few tunes from her upcoming, yet-untitled LP over VMA weekend, but apparently it's not quite there yet. The singer had originally aimed for the LP to come out in November, but her label has now slotted it for a first-quarter 2008 release. ... Taking a cue from Avril Lavigne, Ashley Tisdale is on a mall tour to support her debut album, Headstrong. The "High School Musical 2" star's trek kicked off Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, and runs through November 1 in Dallas. ... Beyoncé is heading to Shanghai. The singer will perform at the Chinese city on November 3 as part of her international tour — despite the fact that she previously had to scrap a show in Malaysia after it was preceded by dress-code problems. China previously canceled a show by boyfriend Jay-Z after calling his lyrics too "vulgar," and officials also told the Rolling Stones in the past not to perform their racier material. Beyoncé is set to play Wednesday in Ethiopia and Saturday in Romania, after which she'll hit Turkey, India, Thailand, Indonesia and then China — first on November 1 at Macau — Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan. ...

Q-Tip brought out Stevie Wonder for his encore Sunday night at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California. The two performed "Superstition," with DJ Scratch from the legendary EPMD on the ones and twos. ... John Legend has pegged February 12 as the release date for Estelle's Shine, the first album to come via his HomeSchool label through Atlantic, Billboard reports. Legend acts as executive producer on the effort, while Wyclef Jean, Will.I.Am, Swizz Beatz and Mark Ronson also contribute production, and Kanye West and Cee-Lo make guest appearances. Legend told the mag he's three songs into his next, yet-untitled album, which he hopes to have out in the summer. ...

Pink knows how to party like an animal. The ardent People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals supporter hosted a party for the activist group's president, Ingrid Newkirk, in Los Angeles over the weekend. The bash, which featured pink champagne and veggie "not" dogs among its offerings, served to boost Newkirk's new book, "Let's Have a Dog Party," and Bill Maher, Kevin Nealon — and Pink's dogs — were also in attendance. In other PETA news, the Suicide Girls will soon be seen in the group's noted "We'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" series — they are posing Monday for photos that will be used in the nude-ad campaign and other advertising efforts. ...

Paris Hilton felt "empty" as a partygoer, and now she wants to "leave a mark on the world," she told Newsweek for its new issue, which hits stands Monday. In the article — called "Ms. Hilton Gets Serious. Please Stop Laughing." — she maps out plans for a five-day trip to Rwanda that will have her visiting schools and health-care clinics. "I'm scared, yeah. I've heard it's really dangerous," she said about going abroad. "I've never been on a trip like this before." Scott Lazerson, founder of Playing for Good — the children's charity the heiress will be traveling with — added that, "She's using her celebrity and the cameras that follow her for the good of humanity." The article also reveals that Lazerson is planning to film the trek and sell it as a reality show, called "The Philanthropist," that would feature other celebrities helping the poor. ...

What's a Radiohead? That's what at least one member of the Bush White House is wondering after Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto revealed that he's a big fan of the band and plans to pick up its new album, In Rainbows, according to The Washington Times. Another deputy press secretary, Scott Stanzel, called himself an "appreciator" of Radiohead's music as well, while National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe added that he's "90 percent sure" he's got a few of their songs on his iPod — although none from 2003's Hail to the Thief, which is widely considered to be a slam on the president. When Press Secretary Dana Perino was asked about the group, she replied, "I don't even know what that is. Is that a band?" ... Kirsten Dunst, Blondie frontwoman? Works for Deborah Harry. The group's singer said she's given Dunst her blessing to take on the role for an upcoming, yet-untitled Michel Gondry flick. "She's probably capable of a lot of things she hasn't been asked to do yet, and doing something that's sort of left of center would be great for her," Harry told AOL's Spinner. "I've met with her a couple of times and hung out with her socially. She's just a sweetie." ...

The Arcade Fire joined none other than Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band onstage at a Sunday show in their native Canada, Billboard reports. The indie-rockers joined the more seasoned squad for a rendition of "State Trooper," then performed their own song "Keep the Car Running" with backing from the E Street Band at Ottawa's Scotiabank Place. ... Marilyn Manson's Chatsworth, California, mansion is on the market and can be yours for a cool $1.1 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. The five-bedroom abode features a recording studio, an office-library and a "bonus room." There's also a pool and a covered barbecue. ... Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, who checked into a rehab facility over the summer, botched his lines when he made an unexpected appearance on "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend. Host Jon Bon Jovi did his best to salvage the appearance by bringing his band onstage to play music. ...

More good news for Led Zeppelin fans — not only is the band getting back together for a November 26 reunion gig, but it will soon be shaking up the digital sphere by making its songs available online. On Monday, Zep announced plans to make all their LPs available — as full albums, or à la carte — through all digital-music services on November 13. Their songs will soon be available as ringtones and mobile features in an exclusive deal with Verizon Wireless as well. The band also launched its MySpace page on Monday. In a separate deal, the band is expected to receive $60 million in exchange for lengthening its ties to music publisher Warner/ Chappell Music for at least 10 years, according to The New York Times. ... The Police have put the kibosh on two more shows — their Monday and Tuesday concerts in Manchester, England — due to frontman Sting's throat infection. The band's Friday and Saturday shows, set for Cardiff and London, respectively, will go ahead as planned. ...

Houston rapper Big Moe (born Kenneth Moore) died on Sunday, The Associated Press reports. The 33-year-old rapper, a member of DJ Screw's Screwed Up Click posse, was best known for his 2002 single "Purple Stuff," from his second album, Purple World. ...

Remember the Mighty Mighty Bosstones? Well, the long-dormant ska-core kings will return December 30 for a performance at the Hometown Throwdown in Cambridge, Massachusetts, following "numerous threats of bodily injury from the under-18 crowd," the band joked on its MySpace page. No word on whether the band plans to write and record, but we'll keep you posted. ...

A pair of concerts slated to take place simultaneously in Tel Aviv, Israel, and the West Bank town of Jericho on Thursday — to support the call for a solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict — have been scrapped. The free shows, due to be headlined by Bryan Adams, were called off after Palestinian supporters reportedly said they were threatened over the stance of the show's organizer, the One Voice group, which some Palestinians say ignores their perspectives on lasting peace and Palestinian refugee issues. The Jericho gig was canceled last week, according to a BBC News report, and Israeli organizers followed suit. ...

Universal Music Chairman/CEO Doug Morris is hoping to join forces with other record companies to create an industry-owned music-subscription service to compete with iTunes, BusinessWeek reports. The magazine says Morris has already roped in Sony BMG Music Entertainment as a potential partner and is talking with Warner Music Group as well. The labels control a combined 75 percent of the music sold in the States. Morris also reportedly wants to involve wireless carriers and plans to name the service Total Music. ...

Could Jon Peter Lewis be getting a second wind? The former "American Idol" contestant self-released his first album, Stories From Hollywood, in November 2006 after he didn't have any luck scoring a major-label record contract after participating on the show. But now the disc is getting wider distribution thanks to a new deal with Iowa indie label Authentic Records. Lewis also has a new tour in the works — it starts November 15 in, fittingly, Cedar Falls, Iowa. ...

And just when you thought you'd heard the last from Corey Clark, the former "Idol" contestant faces up to two years in jail and a potential fine of up to $150,000 after pleading guilty to a felony charge of harassment. Four other charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal. The harassment charge stems from Clark's violation of a court order by placing calls to his father-in-law in August 2006. Months earlier, his wife, Monica Rodriguez Gonzalez, filed for the order — which banned him from contacting her or eight other people, including their child — after claiming he had abused her. Clark will be sentenced in early November in an Arizona court.

10.12.07

Nicole Scherzinger is on the November cover of Blender and, beyond showing skin (naturally), she reveals that she was uncomfortable with herself in the early days of the Pussycat Dolls. "At my first photo shoot, I looked at the costumes and cried. I wasn't used to showing so much of my body." The singer makes another revelation: that she's been single since August — when she broke up with "Laguna Beach" star Talan Torriero. She explained her frustration with dating, oddly dropping Ryan Gosling's name — who she has not been romantically attached to — along the way. "You get these crushes on guys, and then you meet them and you realize you just loved the role they were playing. Like, who doesn't love Ryan Gosling after you see 'The Notebook'? Then you meet the person and you're like, 'Huh? What?' " Scherzinger added that she's holding out for "the hottest man in the universe." The magazine hits newsstands Tuesday. ...

Foxy Brown refused to get on a correction-department bus twice on Friday (October 12) for a court arraignment, The Associated Press reports. The rapper (real name: Inga Marchand), who is serving a one-year jail term for violating her probation, refused to take the bus from New York's Rikers Island prison to a court in Brooklyn. She's now due in the court Tuesday instead, and if she again refuses to get on the bus, authorities might put her in handcuffs and force her to go. ...

Is Lindsay Lohan leaving L.A. for good? Her dad, Michael, told People that she's been looking for a house in Utah and plans to return there to live, receive counseling and go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings after filming her upcoming movie "Dare to Love Me" in Los Angeles. He also said when she leaves for L.A. on Monday to begin shooting the movie, she'll be accompanied by a sober companion trained to deal with people overcoming addiction. "Lindsay's companion is really, really tough, and she's really nice, she's an amazing lady, a great influence on Lindsay's life," he said. ...

Beyoncé in your ear? The singer has her own clothing line and a handful of fragrances — now a new cell phone is being devoted to her. Samsung's limited-edition Beyoncé Special Edition B'Phone handsets comes out November 4 on Sprint.com and at select Wal-Mart stores. The phone, an update to the UpStage model, plays MP3s, has a preloaded Beyoncé-style start-up screen and has access to premium video and music content — including a tune she sung when she was 10 — that can be downloaded onto the phone from the Sprint site. The B'Phone also features the Sprint Music Manager, through which unprotected songs can be transferred from a PC to the handset via a USB cable. B previously appeared in ads for Samsung's Ultra Music campaign earlier this year. ... In other merchandise news, starting Monday, White Stripes cameras will be on sale on the band's Web site, if you can believe it. The "Jack" Holga Camera comes with a fisheye lens accessory, while the "Meg" Diana+ Camera has a ring-flash accessory. Both come with custom filters as well. The first 333 orders will come with a "mystery gift." ...

Columbia has pegged November 6 as the release date for Nas' 12-track Greatest Hits album. Don't miss two new cuts on the disc: "Less Than an Hour," the theme to "Rush Hour 3"; and "Surviving the Times," which features Cee-Lo. ... Speaking of rap release dates, Pitbull has locked in November 27 for his next effort, Boatlift. Look for featured-guest spots by Trina ("Go Girl"), Jim Jones ("Sticky Icky") and Lloyd ("Secret Admirer"). ... Last we heard about the new Coldplay album, the band was recording at church altars and developing a "strengthening Hispanic theme" for the effort. Well, it appears the lads are one step closer to bringing the yet-untitled release to fruition — BBC Radio 6 reports they've hit the rehearsal and remix stage. ...

J.K. Rowling might be the second-richest female entertainer in the world according to Forbes, but she can't always get her way when it comes to money. An Indian court tossed out a claim made by the "Harry Potter" author that sought damages from the organizers of a four-day religious carnival for building a replica of Hogwarts Castle. Rowling and her publishers wanted the equivalent of $50,000 from the organizers, but the Delhi High Court disagreed. The court did, however, order that characters from the massively popular book series not be used in the event and say that permission to exhibit the castle would expire on October 26. The castle is constructed out of canvas, papier mâché and bamboo. ...

In the months following Anna Nicole Smith's accidental death from a drug overdose in February, much of the attention has been placed on the fate of her daughter, Danielynn, and former boyfriends. But on Friday, attention turned back to the model's death as California Department of Justice agents raided the homes and offices of two doctors connected with Smith: Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, who prescribed methodone to her, and — according to People — psychiatrist Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, who reportedly authorized the 11 prescription medications that were found in the Florida hotel room in which Smith died. The Medical Board of California said in April that it was investigating Eroshevich. California Attorney General Jerry Brown held a press conference Friday in which he said the raids, which were conducted at six locations, pertained to the "prescribing and dispensing practices of several California licensed doctors and pharmacies." He said no arrests have been made but added, "You don't go to a judge and get a search warrant for somebody's home unless you think some rather serious crime has been committed." He also said he didn't know if Smith's body, which is buried in the Bahamas, might be exhumed due to the investigation. ...

There's one more reason to catch Coheed and Cambria at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York next week — the band will be playing for a good cause. The prog-sters will put on a show October 19 at the Highline Ballroom, and all proceeds will go to the New York chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. The band, which issues its No World for Tomorrow album October 23, will also be asking for donations online. ... Four kids have been named grand-prize winners of the Kidz Bop talent-search contest: Desiree Jimenez (age 11; from Virginia Beach, Virginia); Jacob Muck (age 13; from Splendora, Texas); Jesse O'Brien (age 12; from Schwenksville, Pennsylvania); and Dalton Watts (age 13; from Theodore, Alabama). The winnerz will get to co-star in an upcoming Kidz Bop video that will be shot in November in the Turks and Caicos Islands. They'll get all-inclusive family vacations there too. ...

Dinosaur Jr. will roar again next month with a new tour set to start November 20 in Millvale, Pennsylvania, and last until December 15 in Aspen, Colorado. ... Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan is scheduled to release his second solo album, Hourglass, October 23. Gahan wrote and produced the follow-up to his 2003 solo debut, Paper Monsters, which will feature the songs "Saw Something," "Use You," "Endless," "21 Days" and "Love Will Leave." The album is also available as a CD/DVD set, with the video disc containing a four-song studio session, an EPK, the "Kingdom" video and B-roll. ... Red-hot indie-rock band the National — who call Brooklyn, New York, home these days — played the opening gig at Terminal 5, the first major venue to open in midtown Manhattan in more than 10 years, according to Billboard. Against Me!, the Shins, the Decemberists, M.I.A. and others are booked to play the venue in the coming weeks. ...

Robert Rodriguez and Rose McGowan's trip to "Planet Terror" was apparently very romantic — the director and actress are engaged, People reports. McGowan was previously engaged to Marilyn Manson, while Rodriguez has five children from a prior marriage. ... Celebrity stylist Cher Coulter, who has worked with Britney Spears and Brad Pitt among others, suffered a fractured neck and cut on her head after being involved in a minor car crash in Hollywood early Friday morning. She was apparently riding in the back seat of Orlando Bloom's car — the actor was not injured. Bloom filed a report with police after a vehicle reportedly cut him off, causing the actor to hit a parked car.

• Justin Timberlake
• Britney Spears
• Lindsay Lohan
• 50 Cent
• Ashlee Simpson

Amy Winehouse
Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

Amy Winehouse might have missed the VMAs, but she's hoping to make up for her absence with a rare performance at the mtvU Woodie Awards next month. The performance by the singer — who made it to mtvU's "Freshman 5" earlier this year — is only one of two she has on her U.S. itinerary for the rest of the year. The Academy Is ... and Spank Rock will also grace the stage at the ceremony, which will be held November 8 at New York's Roseland Ballroom and air on mtvU and mtvU.com on November 15 at 8 p.m. ET. The program will also air November 18 on MTV2 at 12:30 a.m. ET, and highlights will be shown on MTV as well. ...

It's probably safe to say that when Snoop Dogg made the movie "The Wash" with Dr. Dre back in 2001, he wasn't anticipating that he'd have to be washing cars in real life down the line. But the rapper (real name: Calvin Broadus) has agreed to do just that — as well as clean toilets, rake leaves and pick up debris — as part of his 160 hours of community service for illegal possession of a dangerous weapon, according to Southern California newspaper The Orange County Register. The punishment stems from his weapon-possession arrest at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana in September 2006, when he attempted to bring a collapsible 21-inch police baton onto the aircraft. It's not known when Snoop will begin his service as a commercial pitchman, and the name of the park at which he will be working has not been released. ...

Did Busta Rhymes and Linkin Park become friends while they were at the "Transformers" premiere over the summer? The rapper tells RollingStone.com that he has cut a new song, "It Looks Like We Made It," with the rock squad and that it will surface on his next LP. "It feels like Rocky won the fight or something," he says of the song, which was reportedly produced by Cool & Dre. "It reminds the people who are successful to go and help those that haven't been so successful, and represent the unity between people." The rapper also said his LP title has changed from Before Hell Freezes Over to Back on My BS, and that it's due December 4. ...

Vocal Britney Spears critic Perez Hilton has a bit of a problem on his hands. The Zomba Label Group — home to Spears' label, Jive Records — has hit the super-blogger (real name: Mario Lavandeira) with a suit claiming he illegally obtained and posted on his gossip Web site at least 10 of the singer's songs and unfinished demos for her new LP, Reuters reports. Zomba alleges the posts took place over the past three months and that it moved up the release date for Spears' Blackout due to online leaks. The suit requests real and punitive damages as well as legal costs, although the amount of the damages wasn't specified. ...

So where did Ashlee Simpson celebrate her 23rd birthday over the weekend? Her parents' house, of course! The singer held an '80s-themed party on Saturday, and more than 200 guests showed up — including sister Jessica, Wilmer Valderrama, Kenna and, of course, boyfriend Pete Wentz, who was the prom king to Ashlee's queen as they danced to Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do." "Now we can say we are high school sweethearts!" the Fall Out Boy bassist told People. He also made a wisecrack to the mag, saying he and his girlfriend take the same amount of time to get ready to go out "because I'm actually just her purse." But apparently Saturday night didn't totally exhaust the couple — the following night, they went to the Hollywood Style Awards at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California. Russell Simmons was presented with the Hollywood Soul award for his work with the Diamond Empowerment Fund, a nonprofit that raises money to support education initiatives in diamond-producing African countries. Wentz and Simpson wore Simmons Jewelry Company Green Initiative bracelets, as did Vanessa Minnillo, Kim Kardashian, Cindy Crawford and other celebrities in attendance. And that's not the only place Simpson and Wentz turned up this week — she was seen busting some more moves a few nights later at FOB's show at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. Pharrell also headlined the event, which marked the finale of the invite-only Hennessy Artistry Concert Tour. ...

First Trent Reznor became a free agent earlier this week, now is Madonna about to follow in his footsteps and break free from a major label? Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's representative at her longtime label, Warner Bros., told MTV News that a move is likely. "Madonna has a new CD coming out on Warner Bros. Records at the end of this year or early next year," she said. "She also has a greatest-hits package on WB. After that she is a free agent, and I believe her managers are in talks with Warner Bros. as well as Live Nation regarding her future as a recording and touring artist." According to The Associated Press, a proposed $120 million, 10-year agreement would give Madge a signing bonus of $18 million and $17 million in advance for each of three LPs, with a portion of the compensation involving stock. The deal would also give Live Nation the exclusive right to promote her tours, and any revenue generated by her merchandise or name would be split 50/50 between the company and the singer. Madonna, who has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, signed with Warner Bros. in 1984. In more, um, illustrious Madonna news, her co-manager Guy Oseary has pulled together photos he took on last year's Confessions tour and compiled them into a 256-page volume of the same name. It's due June 10. ...

Mobb Deep's Prodigy was sentenced on Tuesday to serve three-and-a-half years behind bars after pleading guilty to a 2006 weapons charge, according to New York's Daily News. Prodigy, whose real name is Albert Johnson, was indicted on one charge of gun possession at Manhattan Supreme Court in New York — the charge related to Johnson's arrest in October 2006 after New York police pulled his Chevy Suburban over for making an illegal U-turn. Police noticed a gun inside the rapper's vehicle during the stop. ... Good Charlotte bassist Paul Thomas injured his ankle after taking an unintended stage dive at the show in Brisbane, Australia, on Tuesday night — but that didn't stop him from playing, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The rocker reportedly continued slapping his bass after tumbling from the stage just two songs into the band's set. Thomas sprained his ankle as a result of the fall. ...

Do you like to sing along to Chris Brown? Well, here's your chance to do so with him in person. Screen Gems, the studio behind Brown's upcoming movie "This Christmas," has put together an "American Idol"-like singing contest that will be co-hosted by urban-radio stations in 35 markets this weekend. Contestants will have a minute to sing either "This Christmas" or "Silent Night," and the 35 winners will then tape performances for AOL Black Voices starting October 19. The public will be allowed to vote for their favorite singer, and voting will end October 24. The three semifinalists will be flown to New York to sing their tune on "106 & Park," after which viewers will vote online and the winner will be announced on the show November 1. The winner will get an all-expenses-paid trip to New York to perform on a "This Christmas" holiday special with Brown, David Banner, Columbus Short and other actors from the flick, which opens November 21. ... Michael Jackson has issued a new letter to fans in which he thanks them for their birthday gifts and cards. He also found room to hint at future plans. "I've been really busy lately. Hopefully, you've all seen the results of my recent photo shoot with L'Uomo Vogue," he said of the designer-clothes magazine, which features Jackson on its October cover. "Soon, I will be sharing exciting and surprising news with you from my other efforts." ...

Jonathan Davis' long-delayed solo-acoustic trek is finally a go again. While the Korn frontman announced the outing way back in October 2006 and had sketched out a February start date, he now has November 10 in Verona, New York, pegged as the new beginning date, with shows running through December 8 in Ventura, California. ... The Dave Matthews Band have signed up to play the "World's Loudest Pep Rally." The nationwide AT&T-sponsored contest for more than 100 NCAA Division I schools with college-football teams will award a free live concert by the DMB to the school that submits the most online invitations (texts, e-mails, photos, videos, songs) on AT&T devices relative to the school's enrollment. The contest runs until Monday, and fans can submit up to 50 invitations a day. ...

Metallica, who have been working on new material for what's turning into their own personal Chinese Democracy, have posted an update on their progress over at their Web site in the form of a series of photos and a fairly uneventful post. "There is nothing new to report," the missive reads. "Things are as you would call it, status quo, consistent, constant, invariable, unaltered, unchanged, unfailing, uniform, unvarying. Pretty much what we are trying to say is: work is continuing and all is good in the Metallica 'hood. As soon as we do have something new to report, you will be the first to know of course." ...

Bobby Brown now says he didn't suffer a heart attack after all on Tuesday, despite reports to the contrary. "I did go to the hospital ... to just get a checkup, get everything tested out so that I could go on [my upcoming] tour, and everything is fine," he told AP. On Wednesday, his representative Paedra Parks said Brown was in "great spirits and [had] a great prognosis from his doctor" after it had been reported that Brown was rushed to the Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Tarzana, California, for chest pains. ...

Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar) is quite the label-hopper — after putting out solo material on Virgin and Ryko in the '90s, he then started up his own label, Granary Music — only to then jump over to Yep Roc for 2005's Body of Song. Now he's moved to yet another label, Anti-, for the release of his new album, District Line, on February 5. The album will feature drumming by Fugazi's Brendan Canty and 10 songs, including "Miniature Parade," "Old Highs New Lows" and "Return to Dust." ... Jude Law has been cleared of charges for allegedly assaulting a photographer outside his home in London in September, Reuters reports. No further action will reportedly be taken against the actor. ...

Legendary stuntman Bud Ekins died over the weekend of natural causes at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ekins was the Steve McQueen double who made the famous motorcycle jump in the classic 1963 film "The Great Escape," and also served as a stuntman in "Animal House," "Diamonds Are Forever" and "The Blues Brothers." He was 77.

10.10.07

Britney Spears' arraignment was delayed earlier this week, but the singer needs to make another adjustment on her calendar — her upcoming Blackout LP has bumped from a November 13 release to October 30. Jive, her label, chalked up the release-date shift to album tracks being leaked online. "Due to these numerous unauthorized online leaks, the label is doing everything possible to prevent and avoid any future illegal distribution of songs, including moving up the release date of the album to October 30," it said in a statement. ...

Hip-hop promoter James Waldon has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs, claiming that after he chatted with the Bad Boy boss at the Box nightclub in New York, three of Combs' bodyguards attacked him. According to The Associated Press, the 27-year-old said one bodyguard punched him in the mouth, knocking him backward onto a table, while two others repeatedly hit and kicked him, then chased him around the club before he escaped. Waldon claimed the beating left him with a number of injuries, including mouth and teeth problems. Combs' lawyer said he had not yet seen the filing. ... In other Diddy legal news, a Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday that the hip-hop mogul doesn't have to provide photos of his rings to a man who says Combs hit him outside the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel nightclub in February, according to The Associated Press. Gerald Rechnitzer's lawyer had argued that the photos were critical to his case. ...

Bobby Brown is recovering after suffering a mild heart attack, according to People. His representative Paedra Parks told the magazine that the singer is in "great spirits and has a great prognosis from his doctor." Brown's girlfriend, Alicia Etheridge, rushed him to the Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Tarzana, California, on Tuesday afternoon when he experienced chest pains. He is expected to be released later Wednesday (October 10) and still plans to perform at Los Angeles radio station V100's Taste of Soul fest on Saturday. ...

Black Eyed Peas ended a concert mid-show in San Salvador, El Salvador, last week after Fergie apparently became ill, according to AP. The singer announced onstage that she was suffering from food poisoning, saying, "I've never canceled a show in my life," according to a video that has been circulating online. The show's organizer announced Tuesday that the show will be rescheduled in 90 days, and refunds will also be offered. ... Justin Timberlake has become the first male solo artist this decade to score six top 40 hits from the same album, according to Billboard. His FutureSex/LoveSounds song "Until the End of Time" recently jumped from #41 to #28 on the magazine's Hot 100. The last solo male artist to accomplish the feat? Michael Jackson, naturally. ...

Kiefer Sutherland released a statement Wednesday in regards to his recent DUI arrest. "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on '24' and at 20th Century Fox. I appreciate the support and concern that has been extended to me these last weeks both personally and professionally." Sutherland will have to serve 48 days in county jail — 30 for driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 percent, as well as 18 for violating his probation for another DUI case in 2004. He will be sentenced December 21. ...

Disgraced boy-band svengali Lou Pearlman is hitting back at allegations in a Vanity Fair story in which former members of male groups he worked with alleged inappropriate activities and sexual improprieties. Speaking to Radar magazine, Pearlman called the story "slander" and denied any wrongdoing. "I don't think there's anything wrong [with having one's] own sexual preference, but no, I've never dated nor have I been interested in men sexually," Pearlman said in response to a question about whether he is gay. He dismissed a number of the allegations against him as mostly sour grapes from people who are or have been in litigation with him, or whose careers did not take off. Pearlman also denied giving massages to any of his former clients and the allegation that he told a young man that in order to get into a band he had to perform a sex act on him. He also said former Take 5 member TJ Christofore made up a story about Pearlman wrestling on a bed with a number of young men while wearing only a towel. "T.J. [Christofore] is making up this story," Pearlman said. "He sued me in child-labor court and lost. If what he says is true, you would think he would have brought it up to help his case. The fact that he never mentioned this in court should tell you where he's coming from. He's just trying to join the lynch party. Besides, I've never owned a towel that could wrap all the way around me anyway." ...

Forget about Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel and Scarlett Johansson — Charlize Theron is the sexiest woman alive, according to Esquire magazine. The "In the Valley of Elah" actress graces the cover of the mag's new issue, which streets Tuesday. ... It seems that a few hospital staffers wanted to know a little too much about George Clooney. Twenty-seven employees at North Bergen, New Jersey's Palisades Medical Center — where the "Michael Clayton" actor and his girlfriend were hospitalized in September after being involved in a motorcycle accident — have been suspended for four weeks for allegedly looking at Clooney's confidential medical information. "This is the first I've heard of it," Clooney said in a statement. "And while I very much believe in a patient's right to privacy, I would hope that this could be settled without suspending medical workers." ...

More disturbing information has surfaced concerning alleged animal abuse at rapper DMX's Arizona home. According to a report in The Arizona Republic, several of the 12 undernourished pit bulls recovered from the grounds back in August suffered from valley fever, an infectious lung disease that also affects humans. Also, three dogs that were discovered buried in the rapper's backyard may have died from heat after air conditioning in the house reportedly broke down. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, which is still investigating the matter, told the Republic that a "usable amount of marijuana" was also recovered from the rapper's home, along with a small amount of cocaine. The cause of death of the three dogs, which showed signs of bruising, could not be determined, as their bodies were severely decomposed. Two burned dogs, a 20-pound puppy and a 40-pound female, were found together, wrapped in a beige bed sheet and placed inside a plastic bag. ...

Mos Def and hipster rapper Spank Rock have come together to remix French house duo Justice's VMA-nominated "D.A.N.C.E." The two MCs are now labelmates after Mos Def recently signed to Downtown Records (also home to Gnarls Barkley and Cold War Kids), the rapper's label and management confirmed to MTV News. The remix was produced by 19-year old Baltimore beatmaker Benny Blanco who, along with Spank Rock, just released a 2 Live Crew tribute EP, Bangers & Cash. ...

The Police have been forced to cancel two gigs on their current world tour due to frontman Sting's alleged voice problems. The band canceled an Antwerp, Belgium, concert set for October 2, along with another in Manheim, Germany, that was scheduled for October 3. Sting is suffering from a throat infection and doctors have told him to rest his pipes. ... Leave it to the Flaming Lips to conjure a Halloween party for the ages. According to Oklahoma City's OK Gazette, the hometown heroes are participating in the city's Ghouls Gone Wild parade on October 27. Frontman Wayne Coyne will be the grand marshal — and march in his famed plastic bubble, no less! — and the band is trying to rally 1,000 costumed folks to be part of its March of a Thousand Flaming Skeletons. ... Mötley Crüe's upcoming live double-disc set, Carnival of Sins, has been scheduled for an October 23 release. The set features 23 tracks spanning the band's entire career, including "Too Young to Fall in Love," "Home Sweet Home," "Shout at the Devil" and "Dr. Feelgood." ...

The Beatles fans pumped for the November 6 double-DVD re-release of the band's "Help!," might want to buy a ticket to Cleveland — the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has constructed a new exhibit devoted to the 1965 flick. The exhibit, which will open November 16, will feature rare artifacts and photos shot during the making of the movie, including George Harrison's original script, call sheets, costumes and more. Speaking of Harrison, nine albums from his solo catalog debuted digitally on Tuesday, with the rest set to be made available next year. Fans will probably want to nab the iTunes versions, as they come with bonus tracks.

• Amy Winehouse
• Ashlee Simpson
• Fall Out Boy
• Madonna
• Chris Brown

Britney Spears (file)
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

Britney Spears' arraignment was delayed earlier this week, but the singer needs to make another adjustment on her calendar — her upcoming Blackout LP has bumped from a November 13 release to October 30. Jive, her label, chalked up the release-date shift to album tracks being leaked online. "Due to these numerous unauthorized online leaks, the label is doing everything possible to prevent and avoid any future illegal distribution of songs, including moving up the release date of the album to October 30," it said in a statement. ...

Hip-hop promoter James Waldon has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs, claiming that after he chatted with the Bad Boy boss at the Box nightclub in New York, three of Combs' bodyguards attacked him. According to The Associated Press, the 27-year-old said one bodyguard punched him in the mouth, knocking him backward onto a table, while two others repeatedly hit and kicked him, then chased him around the club before he escaped. Waldon claimed the beating left him with a number of injuries, including mouth and teeth problems. Combs' lawyer said he had not yet seen the filing. ... In other Diddy legal news, a Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday that the hip-hop mogul doesn't have to provide photos of his rings to a man who says Combs hit him outside the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel nightclub in February, according to The Associated Press. Gerald Rechnitzer's lawyer had argued that the photos were critical to his case. ...

Bobby Brown is recovering after suffering a mild heart attack, according to People. His representative Paedra Parks told the magazine that the singer is in "great spirits and has a great prognosis from his doctor." Brown's girlfriend, Alicia Etheridge, rushed him to the Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Tarzana, California, on Tuesday afternoon when he experienced chest pains. He is expected to be released later Wednesday (October 10) and still plans to perform at Los Angeles radio station V100's Taste of Soul fest on Saturday. ...

Black Eyed Peas ended a concert mid-show in San Salvador, El Salvador, last week after Fergie apparently became ill, according to AP. The singer announced onstage that she was suffering from food poisoning, saying, "I've never canceled a show in my life," according to a video that has been circulating online. The show's organizer announced Tuesday that the show will be rescheduled in 90 days, and refunds will also be offered. ... Justin Timberlake has become the first male solo artist this decade to score six top 40 hits from the same album, according to Billboard. His FutureSex/LoveSounds song "Until the End of Time" recently jumped from #41 to #28 on the magazine's Hot 100. The last solo male artist to accomplish the feat? Michael Jackson, naturally. ...

Kiefer Sutherland released a statement Wednesday in regards to his recent DUI arrest. "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on '24' and at 20th Century Fox. I appreciate the support and concern that has been extended to me these last weeks both personally and professionally." Sutherland will have to serve 48 days in county jail — 30 for driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 percent, as well as 18 for violating his probation for another DUI case in 2004. He will be sentenced December 21. ...

Disgraced boy-band svengali Lou Pearlman is hitting back at allegations in a Vanity Fair story in which former members of male groups he worked with alleged inappropriate activities and sexual improprieties. Speaking to Radar magazine, Pearlman called the story "slander" and denied any wrongdoing. "I don't think there's anything wrong [with having one's] own sexual preference, but no, I've never dated nor have I been interested in men sexually," Pearlman said in response to a question about whether he is gay. He dismissed a number of the allegations against him as mostly sour grapes from people who are or have been in litigation with him, or whose careers did not take off. Pearlman also denied giving massages to any of his former clients and the allegation that he told a young man that in order to get into a band he had to perform a sex act on him. He also said former Take 5 member TJ Christofore made up a story about Pearlman wrestling on a bed with a number of young men while wearing only a towel. "T.J. [Christofore] is making up this story," Pearlman said. "He sued me in child-labor court and lost. If what he says is true, you would think he would have brought it up to help his case. The fact that he never mentioned this in court should tell you where he's coming from. He's just trying to join the lynch party. Besides, I've never owned a towel that could wrap all the way around me anyway." ...

Forget about Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel and Scarlett Johansson — Charlize Theron is the sexiest woman alive, according to Esquire magazine. The "In the Valley of Elah" actress graces the cover of the mag's new issue, which streets Tuesday. ... It seems that a few hospital staffers wanted to know a little too much about George Clooney. Twenty-seven employees at North Bergen, New Jersey's Palisades Medical Center — where the "Michael Clayton" actor and his girlfriend were hospitalized in September after being involved in a motorcycle accident — have been suspended for four weeks for allegedly looking at Clooney's confidential medical information. "This is the first I've heard of it," Clooney said in a statement. "And while I very much believe in a patient's right to privacy, I would hope that this could be settled without suspending medical workers." ...

More disturbing information has surfaced concerning alleged animal abuse at rapper DMX's Arizona home. According to a report in The Arizona Republic, several of the 12 undernourished pit bulls recovered from the grounds back in August suffered from valley fever, an infectious lung disease that also affects humans. Also, three dogs that were discovered buried in the rapper's backyard may have died from heat after air conditioning in the house reportedly broke down. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, which is still investigating the matter, told the Republic that a "usable amount of marijuana" was also recovered from the rapper's home, along with a small amount of cocaine. The cause of death of the three dogs, which showed signs of bruising, could not be determined, as their bodies were severely decomposed. Two burned dogs, a 20-pound puppy and a 40-pound female, were found together, wrapped in a beige bed sheet and placed inside a plastic bag. ...

Mos Def and hipster rapper Spank Rock have come together to remix French house duo Justice's VMA-nominated "D.A.N.C.E." The two MCs are now labelmates after Mos Def recently signed to Downtown Records (also home to Gnarls Barkley and Cold War Kids), the rapper's label and management confirmed to MTV News. The remix was produced by 19-year old Baltimore beatmaker Benny Blanco who, along with Spank Rock, just released a 2 Live Crew tribute EP, Bangers & Cash. ...

The Police have been forced to cancel two gigs on their current world tour due to frontman Sting's alleged voice problems. The band canceled an Antwerp, Belgium, concert set for October 2, along with another in Manheim, Germany, that was scheduled for October 3. Sting is suffering from a throat infection and doctors have told him to rest his pipes. ... Leave it to the Flaming Lips to conjure a Halloween party for the ages. According to Oklahoma City's OK Gazette, the hometown heroes are participating in the city's Ghouls Gone Wild parade on October 27. Frontman Wayne Coyne will be the grand marshal — and march in his famed plastic bubble, no less! — and the band is trying to rally 1,000 costumed folks to be part of its March of a Thousand Flaming Skeletons. ... Mötley Crüe's upcoming live double-disc set, Carnival of Sins, has been scheduled for an October 23 release. The set features 23 tracks spanning the band's entire career, including "Too Young to Fall in Love," "Home Sweet Home," "Shout at the Devil" and "Dr. Feelgood." ...

The Beatles fans pumped for the November 6 double-DVD re-release of the band's "Help!," might want to buy a ticket to Cleveland — the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has constructed a new exhibit devoted to the 1965 flick. The exhibit, which will open November 16, will feature rare artifacts and photos shot during the making of the movie, including George Harrison's original script, call sheets, costumes and more. Speaking of Harrison, nine albums from his solo catalog debuted digitally on Tuesday, with the rest set to be made available next year. Fans will probably want to nab the iTunes versions, as they come with bonus tracks.

10.09.07

Looks like there's finally some good news for Britney Spears. The singer has been passing her court-ordered random drug tests and has a 50/50 chance of regaining custody of her children, her lawyer Sorrell Trope told People. Also, while Spears has lots of court dates to keep track of these days, she has one less for her calendar this week — her arraignment on misdemeanor driving charges (for hit and run, causing property damage and driving without a valid California license). Though her arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday, a Los Angeles judge decided Tuesday (October 9) that Spears could have until October 25 to enter a plea. The judge also ordered the singer to be booked by police and show proof of that booking by her arraignment, according to a court clerk. Spears' next hearing in her custody case will be the following day, on October 26. ...

Kiefer Sutherland will serve time in Los Angeles County Jail as part of a plea deal in his DUI arrest, AP reports. He will have to serve 48 days in county jail — 30 for driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 percent, as well as 18 for violating his probation for another DUI case in 2004. The actor must also enroll in an 18-month alcohol-education class and go to weekly alcohol-therapy sessions for six months. On Tuesday, Sutherland's attorney Blair Berk entered a no-contest plea on the actor's behalf for driving with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit, though a second misdemeanor DUI charge was dropped. The actor was most recently arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles in September — he was already on probation for the 2004 DUI arrest. He will be sentenced December 21. ...

Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Linkin Park and — yes, you're reading this right — Daughtry are tied for the most American Music Awards nominations this year, it was announced Tuesday. Each artist earned three nods for various categories. In terms of pop/rock, Akon, Timbaland and Timberlake are facing off for Favorite Male Artist; Beyoncé, Fergie and Avril Lavigne are vying for Favorite Female Artist; Linkin Park, Maroon 5 and Nickelback are competing for Favorite Band, Duo or Group; and Daughtry, LP's Minutes to Midnight and JT's FutureSex/LoveSounds are going head to head for Favorite Album. As for rap/hip-hop, Fabolous, T.I. and Young Jeezy are vying for Favorite Male Artist; Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Pretty Ricky and Shop Boyz for Favorite Band, Duo or Group; and Bone Thugs' Strength & Loyalty, T.I.'s T.I. vs. T.I.P. and Jeezy's The Inspiration for Favorite Album. And on the soul/R&B front, Akon, Ne-Yo and T-Pain are up for Favorite Male Artist; Beyoncé, Fantasia and Rihanna are squaring off for Favorite Female Artist; Beyoncé's B'Day, R. Kelly's Double Up and JT's FutureSex/LoveSounds have been nominated for Favorite Album. There are also Favorite Artist categories for adult-contemporary music (Daughtry, Norah Jones and John Mayer); alternative rock (Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance and the White Stripes) and Latin music (Daddy Yankee, Juan Luis Guerra y 440 and Jennifer Lopez). Daughtry, Plain White T's and Robin Thicke have been noticed for Favorite Breakthrough Artist, while Carrie Underwood landed two country-music noms: for Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Album (Some Hearts). For the first time, the AMAs are opening up voting to the general public online — it began Tuesday on the AMA site and ends November 2. The show, to be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be broadcast live at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre on November 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. ...

John Graziano, the young Marine who was injured in Nick Hogan's car crash in late August, is on life support and will require lifelong care, Florida's St. Petersburg Times reports. According to documents obtained by the newspaper, the 22-year-old Graziano will, at best, be able to open and close his eyes from time to time. His mother is petitioning a judge to let her assume guardianship of her son, who remains in critical condition. A hearing will be held Wednesday. ...

Rehab was a "sobering" experience for Lindsay Lohan, she told In Touch in her first interview since leaving Utah's Cirque Lodge Treatment Center on Friday. The actress also insisted that while she went to the clubs right after finishing a rehab stint in July, she's not going to be rekindling her nightlife anytime soon — to avoid distractions, she'll be staying in Utah until she starts shooting the upcoming flick "Dare to Love Me." "Going out all the time was very self-destructive," she said. "Partying and having all of those pictures taken distracts from the work that I do. It's not why I started acting. I didn't get into acting to be written about. ... I want to act like a woman rather than a teenager. I am doing the best I can." Lohan also opened up about seeing her estranged father for the first time in more than three years, while at Cirque Lodge. "It was really good for me ... it was really important for me to get a connection back with my dad, because I hadn't had that in a while." And if you heard those rumors about Lohan developing a relationship with a man while in rehab ... well, apparently they were true. "Yes, I am seeing someone," she confirmed. "His name is Riley. I am really happy and taking it day by day." The Riley in question is Riley Giles, a 25-year-old snowboarder from California. Last but not least, just as Paris Hilton said she was committing herself to philanthropic efforts after her own debacle, Lohan revealed that she's trying to put together a December trip to Africa with the Red Cross. ...

"Hannah Montana" fans will want to change the channel from Disney to ABC on Tuesday night when Miley Cyrus breaks out a new duet with her father, Billy Ray, on "Dancing With the Stars." The two will perform "Ready, Set, Don't Go" on the results show, with the single hitting country-radio stations immediately afterward. ... What do Diddy, Panic! at the Disco's Ryan Ross and Fred Durst have in common? They've all earned the less-than-distinguished honor of being selected for Blender's "The 40 Worst Lyricists in Rock" list. Will.I.Am, Billy Corgan, Anthony Kiedis, Common, Dashboard Confessional, Timbaland and, of course, Kevin Federline, also make the (F) grade, with Sting landing in the #1 spot. The list appears in the magazine's November issue, which streets October 16. ... Kid Rock commented to Dave Letterman about his ex-wife Pamela Anderson's recent remarriage — she got hitched to Rick Salomon in Las Vegas over the weekend. After making a salty remark about the couple on "The Late Show With David Letterman," he quipped, "I wish them much happiness." ...

Wyclef Jean seems to be the go-to guy for special causes these days. After playing at "CGI and MTV Present: Giving - Live at the Apollo" late last month, he's now been tapped for another special performance, at supermodel Petra Nêmcová's upcoming Heart of Gold Ball benefit auction. The event, to take place Wednesday at Cipriani Wall Street in New York, will have various sports, travel and event packages up for auction. All proceeds will go to Nêmcová's Happy Hearts Fund, which supports education and medical and emotional support for children affected by natural disasters. ... Say what you will about those rumors of Britney Spears putting in an application for a fall-back bartending gig while staying at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, California, last week. The manager at the hotel's Cameo Bar tells MTV News that while Spears has been there in the past, anyone applying has to have one to two years of fine-dining experience and must pass a drug test. The manager didn't confirm whether Spears had in fact submitted an application. ...

Avenged Sevenfold will play a free gig at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California, on October 20. The set will be taped for later broadcast on MySpace's "The List." Want in? No problem. Just show up in your Halloween costume and get there early — entry to the show will be on a first-come, first-served basis. ... Jimmy Eat World are going all in with their new single "Big Casino," fashioning their Chase This Light album-release party after the gambling concept. On Monday, the band will turn Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre into a faux casino, with fans able to play poker, blackjack, craps and other games for prizes — a flyaway to see the band perform in another city, JEW merchandise, El Rey tickets and more. The band will end the evening with an intimate set as Chase This Light drops at midnight. Entrants will get gambling money and a commemorative poster. ...

Causes, a charity album benefiting three organizations working to stop the Darfur conflict, will be released on iTunes on November 27 and feature exclusive and rare tracks from Bloc Party, the Shins, Bright Eyes, Animal Collective, the Cure, Death Cab for Cutie, the (International) Noise Conspiracy, Travis and Spoon. All proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America. The album will only be available on iTunes for 90 days, though a limited-edition CD can be ordered right here. ... Queens of the Stone Age are booked for "The Late Show With David Letterman" on Wednesday and are expected to perform their latest single, "3's & 7's." ...

R.E.M. are teeing up a new album for the spring, and what better place to reveal some of it than on ... CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360"? On Wednesday, Michael Stipe and company will perform "Until the Day Is Done," which will be synced up to clips of CNN's "Planet in Peril" environmental documentary. The song will also play over the doc's closing credits and appear on the band's yet-untitled spring LP. R.E.M. Live, a CD/DVD that stands as the band's first concert release, is due October 16. ... Hot Rod Circuit have called it a day. The band issued a statement about the split but didn't offer a reason for it. The boys thanked their fans for supporting them and said they'll miss playing live gigs. ... Senator Hillary Clinton's 60th birthday bash has just gotten a little bit sweeter: Elvis Costello will perform at the Thursday concert, to be held at New York's Beacon Theatre. Tickets range from $250-$2,300 for the bash, for which 2,800 people are expected to attend. Let's hope Costello isn't planning to jump out of a cake. ...

Capitol/Priority is putting some shine on classic rap material with a pair of releases from the vault. N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton is getting the 20th-anniversary treatment via a bonus-track-laden reissue due December 4. The set will feature five extras: a live version of "Compton's N the House" performed by Dr. Dre and MC Ren, and covers of Compton tracks by Snoop Dogg and C-Murder, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Mack-10 and WC. Also on the way is the label's Featuring ... Eazy-E, which pulls together his top collaborations and hard-to-find solo recordings. Four out-of-print tracks are getting new life on the disc, including his "Beverly Hills Cop III" soundtrack contribution, "Luv 4 Dem Gangsta'z," and a rare "We Want Eazy" remix. That disc hits stores December 4 too. ...

Jammie Thomas, the woman who was hit last week with the first-ever copyright infringement jury verdict, said she plans to appeal the $220,000 fine. She announced the decision on her MySpace page, explaining that her lawyer's appeal will take issue with the jury's decision that making songs available online violates copyright laws. "This would stop the RIAA dead in their tracks," she wrote. "Every single suit they have brought has been based on this making-available theory, and if we can win this appeal, they would actually have to prove a file was shared." At press time, Thomas announced that more than $3,800 had been raised so far on FreeJammie.com. ... TiVo has announced that it will offer users of its set-top boxes access to Rhapsody's library of more than 4 million songs. (Rhapsody is part of a joint venture with Viacom Inc., MTV's parent company.) TiVo subscribers with broadband boxes will be able to listen to music streamed over the Internet from Rhapsody in the coming months, though they won't be able to download songs through their TiVo box.

• Britney Spears' Ongoing Saga: What's Next?

• Britney Spears
• Black Eyed Peas
• Diddy
• Bobby Brown
• Justin Timberlake

Mariah Carey in <i>Glamour</i>'s November 2007 issue
Photo: Glamour

Mariah Carey has a suggestion for troubled young female celebs: Find your center. When asked by Glamour what words of advice she would give Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears, she replied, "I wouldn't want to speak to those people specifically, but I would say you need to be very centered, and spiritually know where you're at, all the time. Don't read the tabloids. Don't be obsessed with what people are writing or saying. Live your life for you. My lifestyle has changed since making it. It's not a financial struggle, but I'm still struggling in a lot of ways." Carey graces the cover of the magazine's November issue. ...

Diddy has had a tumultuous few days — first he was sued by a former associate who claimed the hip-hop mogul owes him $19 million for work by the Notorious B.I.G., and then he accepted legal responsibility for his sixth child, The Associated Press reports. In the suit, James Sabatino claims he flew the late rapper to Miami in 1994 to play a gig and hit the studio — he recorded a 17-minute freestyle session, and 90 minutes of Biggie video was allegedly captured on video as well. Since Sabatino paid for the travel expenses and studio time, he says it was understood that the music and video belonged to him, even though a contract was never signed. Diddy claims the delay was due to Los Angeles police naming Sabatino as a person of interest in Biggie's death and that it might be misconstrued if people discovered Bad Boy had paid Sabatino. The ex-associate was later imprisoned on unrelated charges but continued trying to get the money from Diddy and was told it would be coming soon, the suit alleges. Sabatino is seeking $19 million for actual and punitive damages. While that dilemma recently emerged, Diddy put another one to rest when he took legal responsibility for his 15-month-old daughter, Chance — who is said to have factored into his split with ex-girlfriend Kim Porter. Diddy previously denied he had fathered the child of an Atlanta woman, Sarah Chapman, but has acknowledged that DNA tests have confirmed that he is the father. Diddy has arranged support terms and visitation over his daughter with Chapman. ...

Trent Reznor is a free man. According to a post on Nine Inch Nails' Web site, he and his band have fulfilled their contractual obligations to Interscope. "I've waited a long time to be able to make the following announcement: As of right now, Nine Inch Nails is a totally free agent, free of any recording contract with any label," he said in the post. "I have been under recording contracts for 18 years and have watched the business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate. Look for some announcements in the near future regarding 2008. Exciting times, indeed." NIN were signed to TVT prior to joining Interscope in 1994. ...

Beanie Sigel's attorney says the rapper will surrender to authorities next week after an arrest warrant was issued for his failure to return a rented car, AP reports. Sigel (real name: Dwight Grant) is planning to face the charges on October 15, Fortunado Perri told the news service, elaborating that the Payless rental car — which was due back in August and reported stolen September 6 — is being covered. "Whatever money is owed to the company has been paid or will be paid shortly," Perri added. The car was returned to Payless on Friday as detectives were on their way to arrest Sigel at his home in the Philadelphia suburb of Lansdale. It is not yet known who returned the vehicle, which had accumulated $5,000 in late fees. ...

Paris Hilton's alleged bean spillage during VMA weekend aside, Christina Aguilera isn't doing too good a job keeping her supposed pregnancy under wraps. "Access Hollywood" reports that Aguilera picked out a baby registry at a trendy boutique in West Hollywood, California, on Saturday night. With husband Jordan Bratman and his mother and sister in tow, the singer shopped for blankets, bottles, bags and other items for what "AH" called an "upcoming baby shower." ...

Want to live just like Ozzy and Sharon? Your chance is about to arrive. The Osbournes are planning to auction art, furniture and collectibles from their homes in Southern California and England, with a portion of proceeds going to the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation. Items up for sale include Jack Osbourne's black leather bedroom furniture, a cast-iron crucifix that was hung in Ozzy's den and other memorable objects that appeared on "The Osbournes." The auction will be held November 30-December at the Gibson Guitar Showroom in Beverly Hills — although bids can also be placed by phone or online — and Ozzy will also perform a related benefit show at Los Angeles' Staples Center the first night. Expect to hear plenty more from Ozzy in the near future, by the way: In addition to his upcoming tour with Rob Zombie, he'll likely be headlining Ozzfest next year, according to Billboard. When asked if he would be at the top of the bill, he said, "As far as I know." He did not say whether the fest would be free again, stipulating that it was Sharon's decision. He did, however, say he's still up for recording a new Black Sabbath album, though the band's plans are up in the air. ...

Amy Winehouse, the Arctic Monkeys, Paul McCartney and Kylie Minogue were honored at the annual Q awards on Monday (October 8). Winehouse's Back to Black earned Best Album, the Monkeys were named Best Act in the World Today, Macca was awarded as a Q Icon and Minogue landed Q Idol honors. ... Speaking of Winehouse, producer Mark Ronson tells RollingStone.com, "As soon as I finish up the Daniel Merriweather record, I am going back into the studio with Amy Winehouse to work on her new record. ... She is actually dying to go back into the studio already. ... She can't go in November because she is on tour, so we are figuring it out." Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, hit U.S. stores in March. ...

A new book claims that Bono's daughter, Jordan Hewson, was nearly kidnapped by Irish criminals as part of an abduction plot 10 years ago, according to The Irish Examiner. Author Frances Cahill, daughter of murdered crime boss Martin Cahill, says in her recently released book, "Martin Cahill, My Father," that her dad stopped the alleged plot, through which five other Irish criminals were hoping to get a multimillion-dollar ransom from the singer (the U.S. equivalent of roughly $8 million). "He told them it was a bad idea," Cahill reportedly writes in the book. "Martin had nothing against Bono's family. They had never done him any harm and he wasn't going to get involved." ...

Deftones have begun work on the follow-up to last year's Saturday Night Wrist, which took the band more than three years to record and release. According to a MySpace post from the guys, they've been working on the effort since late July and will maintain a blog to document the recording process. ... In addition to the standard CD version of their new self-titled album, Avenged Sevenfold will also be releasing a MVI version of the effort on October 30. The interactive DVD will feature a making-of featurette, a studio tour, pre-encoded MP3s of all the tracks, an animated short and more. ...

Cribs bassist Gary Jarman was hospitalized over the weekend and has been treated for blood poisoning, his publicist confirmed to MTV News. It's believed the rocker contracted the condition after accidentally cutting himself with the strings of his bass during a recent gig. He had complained of pains in his arms on Saturday but managed to make a gig in Sheffield, England, that same night. He was admitted early Sunday morning and is doing fine, according to his publicist. ... Want to get down and dirty with Moby? Stop by New York's Hiro Ballroom on Thursday night when he, Juan McClean, Stretch Armstrong and DFA artist Alex Frankel christen his new DJ series, called "Degenerates." Moby will tinker around with new material as part of the residency, which is expected to be ongoing and will encompass additional DJs. ...

Jena, Louisiana, Mayor Murphy R. McMillin is lashing out over John Mellencamp's new track "Jena," which the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-nominated rocker recently wrote and posted online (with an accompanying video) in support of the Jena Six. "The town of Jena has for months been mischaracterized in the media and portrayed as the epicenter of hatred, racism and a place where justice is denied," McMillin reportedly told AP. "However, the Mellencamp video is so inflammatory, so defamatory, that a line has been crossed and enough is enough. ... I do not want to diminish the impression that the hanging of the nooses has had on good people. I do recognize that what happened is insulting and hurtful. ... [But] to put the incident in Jena in the same league as those who were murdered in the 1960s cheapens their sacrifice and insults their memory." Prior to the mayor's reaction, Mellencamp discussed his intention behind the track via a post on his site. "The song is not written as an indictment of the people of Jena but, rather, as a condemnation of racism," he wrote. ...

Bruce Springsteen defended his anti-war stance in an interview with "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday, telling correspondent Scott Pelley that it would be "unpatriotic" not to speak out on his new album, Magic, and accompanying tour. "It's unpatriotic at any given moment to sit back and let things pass that are damaging to someplace that you love so dearly and that has given me so much," Springsteen said. "I still feel and see it as a beacon of hope and possibility. That part of America is live and well." He also sounded off on other political issues of the day, saying, "When people think of the American identity, they don't think of torture. They don't think of illegal wiretapping. They don't think of voter suppression. They don't think of no habeas corpus. No right to a lawyer ... you know. Those are things that are anti-American." ...

Not too long ago, the thought of a Police reunion tour was inconceivable. Now comes news that the rock legends, who are currently on tour in Europe, might throw together a new studio effort while they're at it. "I would see it as a challenge, to make an absolutely brilliant pop album at this stage of our career, and that would be something quite remarkable," guitarist Andy Summers told reporters in Dublin, Ireland, over the weekend, according to AP. But he added that the trio have not discussed the project in detail and that the reunion tour is "all-devouring." ...

Maybe the third time will indeed be the charm for Pamela Anderson, who married Rick Salomon — perhaps best known for making that sex tape with Paris Hilton — on Saturday in Las Vegas. Anderson wore a white denim Valentino dress, People reports, and the vows were squeezed in between the 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. shows of Hans Klok's "The Beauty of Magic," which Anderson is a part of, at the Planet Hollywood resort. It's Anderson's third marriage and Salomon's second.

10.05.07

Lil Wayne was arrested in Boise, Idaho, Friday night on a felony fugitive charge issued in Georgia for allegedly possessing a controlled substance, The Associated Press reports. Wayne, who was booked into the Ada County Jail, was expected to miss a scheduled concert Saturday night because his charges made him ineligible for bond. As a result, an Ada County sheriff's deputy told AP, the jail has been flooded with angry calls from fans. The 25-year-old rapper, born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., is set to be formally charged Tuesday. ...

"This about to get ugly, this about to go crazy." First T.I. had his way with Britney Spears, and now it's Lil Mama. The diminutive rapper is about to drop a remix of Spears' single "Gimme More," in which she gives the singer some props but spends most of the song boasting about her own skills: "I'm what's hot. Ever see 'G-Slide'? I can bring it back." (Listen here for a preview of the track.) Lil Mama then calls out the "followers," saying she has no competition because she's "so far ahead of my time." And, in what could be an analysis of why Spears has had so many troubles as of late, Lil Mama says, "People always going to tell you what you want to hear," that there's been "too many yeses, not enough noes, not enough real," which means even "the best get torn." Who knew the dance track could be a cautionary tale as well? As Lil Mama raps, "You've been warned by the voice of the young." ...

K-Fed may have physical custody of his children with Spears, but People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is urging him to take the custody battle to the doghouse. In a letter faxed to Federline on Thursday, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk requested that he ask the judge for custody of the couple's pets. "It's no secret that Ms. Spears' impetuous 'pet' purchases and lack of caretaking skills have been a serious concern of ours," she wrote, noting that in 2006 the singer was "the overwhelming choice" for worst celebrity dog owner in polls conducted by New York Dog and Hollywood Dog magazines. Newkirk was also concerned that Britney's latest dog, London, was more of an "accessory" and noted that the Los Angeles chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had already investigated the dog's lack of veterinary care after breaking his leg when he was stepped on. "As a father, your main concern is the comfort and stability of your children," Newkirk wrote. "London and the other animals whom the boys consider to be part of the family have provided that comfort and stability ... being separated from the animal friends whom they share a bond with is undoubtedly traumatic for them." ...

Jennifer Lopez has a lot more on her hands than just a new album and joint tour with husband Marc Anthony: The couple are expecting twins, TMZ.com reports. The children would be the first for the pair; Anthony has a daughter and two sons from two previous relationships, one of which resulted in marriage. Lopez and Anthony launched their En Concierto trek in late September and will continue on it through a November 2 date in Miami. Her new album, Brave, drops Tuesday. ... The Spice Girls have cooked up their first single in seven years, called "Headlines," according to BBC News. "It's a Spice Girl classic," Geri Halliwell told the news outlet. We are so proud of it. We started putting words down before we even had the finalised 'yes' from everyone." The Girls' reunion world tour launches December 2 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and will be preceded by their Greatest Hits set, due in stores November 20. ...

Owen Wilson briefly attended the Los Angeles premiere of "The Darjeeling Limited," his new movie with director Wes Anderson, on Thursday night, according to People. He reportedly avoided the red carpet and instead entered the theater through a private entrance, after which he joined co-stars Jason Schwartzman and Anjelica Huston, and Natalie Portman (who starred in an Anderson-directed short film tied to "Limited"), onstage. Anderson introduced Wilson as "my best friend," and the audience reacted with strong applause. "I've never made a movie without him. And I hope I never have to," Anderson added. It was Wilson's first major public appearance since he was hospitalized following what police deemed a suicide attempt. ...

Kanye West and designer Takashi Murakami, who have collaborated together on 'Ye's album covers, are putting their heads together again for a collection of gold, manga-style pendants, according to Women's Wear Daily. The rapper wore a diamond-studded one out to Givenchy's in New York earlier this week, according to WWD. "They'll be more accessible, they won't be all diamonds," he reportedly said. "The eyes are not perfectly done. Murakami cringes when he sees the eyes." ... Kid Rock tested out a handful of new songs at a surprise show at Emerald Theatre in Mount Clemens, Michigan, on Thursday night, according to The Detroit News. The show, which ran more than two hours long, had reportedly been announced less than 24 hours earlier, and tickets sold out in five minutes. ...

Beyoncé must be breathing a little easier — the singer hasn't encountered opposition from Muslim groups in Indonesia over her planned November 1 concert there, according to Reuters. She won't have to follow a strict dress code, which she would have had she performed in Malaysia, the country previously scheduled to host the show. ... Ginuwine has filed a lawsuit in New York against King Music Group Inc., according to AP. In the suit, the R&B star claims he was tricked into signing a contract with a record label that didn't even exist. He said he was persuaded to ink the deal back in May, and according to the contract, he was to receive $1.75 million, including a $500,000 advance, to record his first album for the label. But five months later, he hasn't put out any material and hasn't been paid a dime. The lawsuit claims there's no corporate record for King Music Group Inc. anywhere in New York, California, Florida or Tennessee. The filing charges breach of contract, fraud and negligent misrepresentation, and seeks $4 million in damages. ...

Brad isn't the only previously defunct project Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard is reuniting — he's also bringing back Green River, an early Seattle grunge act that featured PJ's Jeff Ament, and Mudhoney's Mark Arm and Steve Turner. The band has scheduled one reunion gig, for Sub Pop's 20th anniversary concert next summer. ... The reunions continue with news that Eve 6 have also been resurrected, three years after splitting up. The group plans to write and record its next full-length effort early next year, with a full North American headlining tour expected to follow. ... And it's been nearly 10 years since we've heard new music from Portishead, but it seems the act is finishing up its third studio album — although it might not sound like you'd expect. According to band principal Geoff Barrow, the still-untitled effort will feature new elements. "It sounds pretty different from what we have done before," he wrote on the band's Web site. "I don't think the fondue society will be happy." ...

Of Montreal, Ween, Sebadoh, Caribou and Man Man are among the initial list of bands for the spring All Tomorrow's Parties shindig, set to take place in England over the course of two weekends in May. Dates, as well as 24 more artists, will be announced for the event, which is being co-curated by ATP and Pitchfork. ... Carbon/Silicon — the band featuring the ex-Clash singer/guitarist Mick Jones and former Generation X bassist Tony James — will release their debut album, The Last Post, October 23. The band formed in 2004. ...

Just like Magic, Bruce Springsteen might have another LP on the way. The Boss, who just issued his new album this week, has a pile of leftovers "that I think are great songs and should end up somewhere, but they just didn't quite fit with this group," producer Brendan O'Brien told Billboard.com. Springsteen has already put out four albums in the last five years, with 2002's The Rising ending a seven-year studio dry spell. On a more bizarre note, an Olympic equestrian is suing Springsteen for breach of contract after the rocker allegedly reneged on a deal to a horse worth $850,000. Todd Minikus filed a suit Thursday in a Florida court, claiming Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa had put a $25,000 deposit on the horse but later reconsidered buying the animal for their daughter. ...

Isaac Hanson left a Dallas hospital on Friday after recovering from surgery for a pulmonary embolism, caused by a blood clot in the extremities breaking away and traveling to the lungs. The eldest member of Hanson expects to make a full recovery and is due to be released from the hospital Friday (October 5). The band's agents and promoters are trying to reschedule makeup days for the shows it missed. ... Shaggy lives! The dancehall star will perform "Church Heathen" at the Samuel Peters/ Jameel McCline World Boxing Council heavyweight fight at New York's Madison Square Garden on Saturday. The song is featured on his new CD, Intoxication, out November 13.

• Mariah Carey
• Diddy
• Nine Inch Nails
• Beanie Sigel
• Christina Aguilera

Kanye West onstage at Live Earth in East Rutherford, NJ
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — "You all came to this concert," Melissa Etheridge opined midway through a smoldering evening set at the Live Earth concert in Jersey, "because you are Americans."

(Check out behind-the-scenes footage, on-the-ground coverage, fan reactions, videos and more on MTV's new You R Here blog; watch Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, John Mayer and more chat with John Norris at the NJ concert; and see performance pics of Rihanna, Linkin Park, Jack Johnson and more.)

That's one way of looking at it. You could probably also argue that plenty of the 60,000 or so people who made their way out to Giants Stadium on Saturday (July 7) were concerned citizens of the world, plunking down their hard-earned cash to make a statement that the real fight against global warming begins today (though this is probably wishful thinking).

Or perhaps everyone was just here to have a good time, to watch a bunch of bands, get sunburned, throw back some adult beverages and chuck footballs around the parking lot (this is probably reality).

Because, really, for all the pre-show discourse (from both sides of the aisle) about just what the point of Al Gore's Live Earth concert series was, the biggest surprise on this Saturday in the Meadowlands was that no one — not the fans, the bands — seemed to know either (see "A Globe Divided? Reaction To Live Earth Is Decidedly Mixed").

Sure, there were plenty of enthusiastic speeches from the musicians (the aforementioned Etheridge, Alicia Keys, etc.) and the assembled celebs, scientists and politicians, but there was also a whole lot of silence, particularly from some of the marquee acts. Kanye West — usually not one to keep quiet about anything — said nothing about climate change; local gods Bon Jovi seemed pissed that they were limited to a 20-minute set; and the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan only spoke to plug his band's new album.

Still, the speeches that were made were greeted with a bizarre level of enthusiasm from the crowd (Live Earth no doubt marked the first time in history that 60,000 people in New Jersey gave famed primate expert Jane Goodall a standing ovation), and the entire upper deck was teeming with pro-environment banners and T-shirts. Then again, it was also teeming with shirtless, passed-out dudes and their bikini-clad better halves.

It was a little bit surreal, a little bit inspiring and a little bit awesome. Part Woodstock, part Wango Tango, Live Earth certainly didn't feel like a once-in-a-generation event. But, then again, with an anticipated audience of 2 billion worldwide, and concerts on all seven continents, maybe it was.

So for those who cared about ending global warming, about being part of something greater than themselves, and about seeing Kevin Bacon or Cameron Diaz making speeches, there was plenty to be happy about. And for those who came just to see a lineup that rivaled any rock-radio fest, there was a whole lot (a whole, whole lot) to get pumped about, too.

Like KT Tunstall, who made the most of her early-afternoon set and led the crowd in an honest-to-goodness wave before rattling off her hit "Suddenly I See." Or Alicia Keys and Keith Urban's raw take on the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter."

Fall Out Boy bounded about with glee, Akon — truly the hitmaker's hitmaker these days — packed just about everything into his set (and didn't body-slam a single fan). The crowd bugged out when he took his shirt off, and there was an even funnier moment during his set when fans kept chanting the dirty version of "I Wanna Love You," even though he was trying to sing the clean version. And Etheridge, whose set consisted of only one long jam, managed to bring the fire and brimstone with her condemnations of President Bush.

Alicia Keys was soulful and sexy, putting a whole lot of heart into songs like "If I Ain't Got You." Kelly Clarkson rocked hard, and Kanye wheeled out a full string section (dressed in silver space suits, no less) to fancy up his set.

Then there was Bon Jovi, who could've broke wind in a bag and the hometown crowd woulda eaten it up (case in point, they even cheered the band's country-tinged new stuff, which sounds like bad John Mellencamp). To see the band rock NJ is akin to witnessing the pope give a mass in the Vatican.

The Smashing Pumpkins brought sheer volume (and that album plug), former Pink Floyd mastermind Roger Waters brought the hits (and an inflatable pig), and the Police — aided by a fiery cameo by West, who broke from his earlier silence and spat verses about finding "new leaders to follow" and changing the world — brought the house down.

But as 60K filed out, you had to wonder: Did any of this make a difference? Were any minds and hearts changed? And does that even matter?

Well, on a day in which so many spoke so loudly about those very concerns, perhaps the best answer of all was provided by Fall Out Boy's eternally silent drummer, Andy Hurley, who, when asked by MTV News' John Norris if Live Earth mattered, stopped, then cracked a smile.

"I don't know, man. I mean, I got into politics because of Rage Against the Machine," he said. "So music can change people's minds. We'll see what happens."

Guess we will.

Wish you had been there? We have Live Earth covered: Watch the show, see reports from the scene, submit your concert photos and video, make a pledge to stop the climate crisis and more at MTV's Live Earth site.

• Live Earth In 60 Seconds
• Live Earth: We're In This Together

• Live Earth Performances, 07.07.2007

• Kanye West
• Alicia Keys
• Fall Out Boy
• Melissa Etheridge
• The Police

The 2007 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
Photo: MTV News

On The Record: Braving Bonnaroo

Up until Monday afternoon, I was living in a tent. Showering with bottled water. Wandering aimlessly through a dust bowl, looking for shade, water and food. Fighting for survival, skin bubbling and lips cracked. Hallucinating. Dying.

For four days, I was on assignment down in Manchester, Tennessee, camping out with the unwashed masses at Bonnaroo. I got sunstroke, I got covered in dust and I ate a lot of stuff out of cans (or in burrito form). I also had a great time — I believe in my half-dusted haze I may have even called Bonnaroo "probably the best [festival] in America" (see "Bonnaroo Recap: White Stripes, Police, Lily Allen Bring Heat To Already Scorching Fest").

Somewhere in between all the heatstroke and the hyperbole, I began to jot down notes about my experience, and since I just got back into the office late Monday (via helicopter, 'cause that's how MTV News rolls), I've decided to turn my innate ramblings into this week's edition of BTTS (lucky you!).

I've edited out all the gems like "Friday — 2:47 p.m.: Tempeh not just city in Arizona, Seitan not just Lord of Darkness," but what's left is a pretty good look at my dance with death at Bonnaroo 2007, not to mention a convenient way to take potshots at hippies and link to photos like this and this. Read on if you're looking for the inside scoop on the 'Roo (or if you have five to 10 minutes to kill at work).

Thursday, 10:45 a.m.: JetBlue flight 1043 touches down at Nashville International Airport. Instantly, some doped-out hippie toward the back of the plane bleats, "Bonnnarooo!" I already regret my decision to come here.

11:30 a.m.: Rent car, make trip to Wal-Mart. They have an entire section devoted to biscuits here. No lie. Also, Master P's clothing line, P. Miller, is sold here, and if that isn't an apt metaphor for his entire career, then I don't know what is.

3:47 p.m.: Arrive at Bonnaroo. Survey scene at my campsite.

3:49 p.m.: Want to leave Bonnaroo.

5:31 p.m.: Finish pitching tent in "Guest Camping," which is really only "camping" in the loosest sense of the term ... after all, I have showers nearby and I'm actually sleeping like 5 feet from my rental car. Yet, despite these facts, I will spend the entire weekend A) telling everyone within earshot that I'm "totally camping out"; and B) complaining about the fact that "I only have a tent and an air mattress to sleep on." Also, I decide to keep my hair product packed away in the trunk, as I don't want the heat to make it all gooey.

5:32 p.m.: Question my own masculinity.

8:33 p.m.: The Black Angels totally scare the crap out of anyone on any sort of psychedelic drugs with a droning, terrifying set, one made only more droning and terrifying by the sheer number of helicopters hovering in the night sky, whisking talent on and off the Bonnaroo grounds. I'm not even on acid and I'm scared to death.

10:41 p.m.: Purchase an ironic tie-dyed T-shirt. Feel somewhat bad about doing so. On the flipside, I now have something to wear in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, this summer.

11:10 p.m.: The National take the stage roughly 30 minutes behind schedule, still totally kill it. No joke here: The National rule.

11:30 p.m.: Clutch are, inexplicably, playing Bonnaroo. Begin searching crowd for Bam Margera, as he is required by law to remain within 150 yards of the band at all times.

Friday, 8:02 a.m.: Wake up, sun baking my tent. Totally hate life. One of the kids camping next to me apparently decided to sleep on his cooler last night. It's my first up-close-and-personal interaction with a partied-out "Wookiee," which someone tells me is a term of endearment for jam-band fans with "unshaven faces, long hair and a lack of personal hygiene." (There's even a Web site dedicated to their passing out — complete with awesome Chewbacca sounds.)

8:15 a.m.: Brush teeth. Spend next four hours trying to find shade. Consider crawling under car and dying.

3:50 p.m.: Kings of Leon rock out. Later on in the weekend, a writer who did a story about them will tell me that one of the Kings' mom tailors all their jeans for them, so they're extra tight. Apparently, there are "hidden zippers" involved.

6:12 p.m.: I get a henna tattoo of a unicorn (or, if you ask the woman who gave me the sorta-tat, "A horse with a knife on its head"). I spend the next day walking around with my sleeve pinned up because the henna needs to dry. Get sympathetic looks from several hippies.

9:04 p.m.: Tool. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

11:59 p.m.: Super Jam — an annual Bonnaroo tradition — begins. This year, we've got ?uestlove from the Roots sitting in with John Paul Jones and Ben Harper. At the same time, Sound Tribe Sector Nine — a "five-piece electronic jam band fusing live instruments with electronica," according to their Web site — start up nearby. I begin to wonder if I am allowed to bill MTV for hazard pay.

Saturday, 2:37 a.m.: Sounds like Super Jam is ending. I think STS9 are done too. Of course, I can't be sure, as I am sitting in my tent complaining.

12:30 p.m.: A jam-packed day gets off with a bunch of action in some of the 'Roo's smaller tents, but I am nowhere to be found. Rather, I am debating the merits of R. Kelly with my producer Monty on a shaded picnic table. (He's not crazy about R, but I maintain he's "definitely eccentric. Possibly a genius.") Then we start talking about summer festivals in relation to "Peanuts" characters. We decided that Bonnaroo would definitely be Pigpen, and the Lilith Fair is either Peppermint Patty or Marcie, but we really couldn't decide — oh, wait ... sorry, I think my brain shut off for a minute there.

5:30 p.m.: The Hold Steady finish up a triumphant, fist-pumping set at That Tent. Some drunk guy from Louisville, Kentucky, tries to fight me, then launches into a tirade about how he'll "never come back to Bonnaroo" because security confiscated an ice pick he was trying to bring into the campgrounds. This sucks doubly, because the ice pick was "a family heirloom" and if dude wanted to "f--- someone up, [he] definitely wouldn't need an ice pick to do it." Terrifying.

7:55 p.m.: Franz Ferdinand are totally ruling the Which Stage with a spiky set of tunes both new and old (plus a cover of LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends"). Meanwhile, aged fans (and a surprising number of actual police) are trooping over to the What Stage to catch the fest's most hyped set — a purported two and a half hours with the mighty Police.

10:40 p.m.: The Police wrap, a scant 50 minutes before their set is supposed to end. Roughly 77,000 people shuffle off into the night, dreams crushed (I covered the Police's disappointing set in greater depth here). Sting and company presumably hop into gold-plated helicopter, hightail it the eff out of the sticks.

11:22 p.m.: Monty turns to me, asks, "Dude, do you think the Police are even in Tennessee anymore?"

Sunday, 12:12 a.m.: The Flaming Lips prove once again that they're the absolute kings of style over substance (and that they're probably the most underappreciated guys in rock) with a mind-melting, shambling, psych-heavy set that featured a spaceship landing onstage, Wayne Coyne's omnipresent bubble, dancing Santas, hand puppets, confetti and balloons. It's so great that you don't notice that Coyne hasn't been able to sing properly since about 2003. Their set wraps at roughly 2:15 a.m., which makes it the longest performance of their 24-year career.

8:15 a.m.: I finally take a shower.

2:30 p.m.: Hey, Wolfmother are playing! And playing the same songs they've been doing for roughly a year and a half now!

4:40 p.m.: I interview the White Stripes. During the end of our chat, Jack White makes a crack about how people at summer festivals shouldn't wear baseball caps. "Have some self respect," he laughs. Incidentally, Monty is wearing a Yankees cap, and he will spend the next four hours threatening to punch Jack White if he ever sees him in public.

5:00 p.m.: I am officially running out of steam. My notes from this time read like this: "Decemberists = Linen Suits" and "Good too see Jeff Tweedy still looks like the Singin' Hobo." Perhaps my brain is cooked.

8:45 p.m.: With a "God bless Bonnaroo, God bless Tennessee!" the Stripes exit the stage, having just rocked the hemp outta 80,000 or so 'Roo heads. At this point, Monty and I decided we've had about all we can take of Bonnaroo. So we skip Widespread Panic — and miss out on what someone described as "possibly the best 20-minute bass solo you'll ever see" — and decide to get ready to leave.

Monday, 11:20 a.m.: My super-charged helicopter lifts off from Bonnaroo.

As we leave the rolling countryside behind us, I feel myself changing from a sun-kissed, sorta-blissed child of the earth back into the jaded, elitist pr--- that I know I really am. Feels good to be headed home.

B-Sides: Other Stories I'm Following This Week

Seriously, has there been a more hotly anticipated major-label release in recent memory with worse pre-release buzz than Kelly Clarkson's My December? (see "Kelly Clarkson's My December: Rumors Aside, LP Isn't A Radical Departure")

Boy, that Slayer/Manson tour sure sounds like it's getting off on the right foot. (see "Slayer's Kerry King Warns Marilyn Manson About Co-Headlining Run")

A piece that combines the theory of German psychiatrist Hugo Münsterberg, the musings of American critic H.L. Mencken and, uh, the stupid crap of something called "The Beaterator." Stephen Totilo rules. (see " 'Grand Theft Auto' Of 1916; Launching 'Traxxpad'; 'Halo' Toys & More, In GameFile")

Questions? Concerns? Drop me a line at BTTS@MTVStaff.com.

• Bonnaroo Blitz: Lily Allen, White Stripes, Franz

• Bonnaroo 2007 Performances
• The Tribe Of Bonnaroo '07

• The National
• The White Stripes
• The Police
• Kings Of Leon
• The Roots

The White Stripes' Jack White at Bonnaroo '07
Photo: Jeff Gentner/ Getty Images

MANCHESTER, Tennessee — If you're reading this, it probably means that I survived the dust and the djembes of Bonnaroo 2007 ... that I somehow made it back to my campsite night after night, that I didn't expire due to heatstroke or dehydration or bug attack, and that — by some higher grace — I wasn't killed by an overdose of my own New York-bred cynicism.

By now, you've probably heard a lot about Bonnaroo: that it's a hippie festival where no one showers and the air is heavy with patchouli and pot smoke, that it's a vaguely creepy (and sorta hilarous) commune with jam bands noodling on long into the night and kids selling — ahem — sundries out of the back of dusty VW buses.

And, of course, all of that is true: Bonnaroo is, in a sense, a very crunchy stereotype theater. But if you're willing to look past all the peasant dresses and dreadlocks, and if you're not too shy to immerse yourself in it (as I did — catch even more about the bands and my hot, rocking, smelly weekend in this here blog), you'll realize that the festival is probably the best in America: an honest, snark-free celebration of music and music fans. It's also a well-oiled, clean-burning machine (seriously: 80,000 fans separating glass bottles and metal cans from their campsite trash!?!) that has, over the past few years, made a subtle but determined decision to become the best summer fest in the world.

Last year, 'Roo organizers decided to shake up the fest's jam-band connotations by bringing in a few ringers — namely Radiohead — plus a host of completely un-jammy acts like Beck, Death Cab for Cutie and Bright Eyes (see "Radiohead Marathon, Beck Puppet Show, Partial Phish Jam Mix It Up At Bonnaroo") to raise their profile. And this year, they decided to pull out all the stops, scoring the coup-de-grace of summer fest headliners (the Police), plus Maynard James Keenan's murky and mysterious Tool, the mighty White Stripes, the critically adored Wilco and, in the interest of keeping it real for the jam-band set, Widespread Panic.

And those were just the headliners. Smaller stages (with aggravating names like the This Tent, the That Tent, etc.) were rocked and swayed by the likes of Lily Allen, the Hold Steady, Tortoise, Feist, DJ Shadow (who, if you were to believe his on-stage banter, chose Bonnaroo as the place to announce his retirement from live performance), the National, Girl Talk, Gogol Bordello and Galactic.

It was as diverse and massive a lineup as any festival around the world, one carefully planned to appeal to both 'Roo vets and newcomers alike. And appeal it did: The fest sold out all of its 80,000 tickets again this year — and everyone, from sunbaked junior Deadheads to junior account executives, partied and danced into the wee hours of the morning, worked the drum-circle circuit back at their dusty campsites and didn't seem to mind sleeping for only a few hours each night.

That dedication was both amazing and sort of scary, but when there's so much music to be heard, sleep sort of becomes an afterthought. For the first time, this year's festival featured a full lineup on Thursday, meaning that there were now four days of nearly nonstop rock to ingest.

But Thursday was still just a warm-up for the three days of serious action that lay ahead. Most got their heads on straight to watch Lily Allen bob and weave her way through a set of sharp-tongued pop, or a bit of nerd-tronica courtesy of Hot Chip. Then, as shadows grew long, the tough choices loomed: spooky avant metal courtesy of Tool, or the warm-and-fuzzy mandolin jams of the String Cheese Incident?

I chose both, admiring the sheer amount of glowsticks SCI fans lobbed skyward during a series of rapidly unspooled solos, then trekking off into the darkness to catch Tool build throbbing basslines into dark, proggy towers, with Keenan cracking jokes about "the marijuana and the LSD" and probably reveling in the fact that he just seriously fried some minds (though we'll probably never be sure, since Tool did no press and allowed no one to film or photograph their set).

Saturday was opressively hot (a recurring theme of the festival, for sure) but that didn't stop fans from bobbing to a spiky set from Franz Ferdinand or getting all goofy for Regina Spektor. And no one seemed to mind the soaring temperatures during the Hold Steady's early evening performance, which featured so much fist-pumping from the audience that even the band seemed surprised.

And by the time the Steady wrapped, things were really shifting into high gear, with hyped-up kids (and, presumably, their parents) pressed hard against the main stage security barrier to catch the Police's much-hyped set, which started out so promising — with a blast of the gong from drummer Stewart Copeland and an incredibly proficient version of "Message in a Bottle" — but quickly devolved into roughly 100 minutes of jammed-out, sorta ambient music with the occasional mega-hit sprinkled in for good measure. It's not that the Police weren't technically sound — they were — it's just that they never really connected with the Bonnaroo crowd, and it didn't help when Sting surveyed them all and decided that they were "80,000 Tennesseans." And all that happened before the Police decided to cut their set short about an hour — which is about as close as you can get to a sin 'round these parts.

But the Police's shortcomings only opened the door for a host of other acts to swoop in and steal the night. Girl Talk cracked open his laptop and delivered a sweaty, super-fun set, and the Philadelphia Experiment — a jazzy side-project of the Roots' ?uestlove — made things cool and funky. But the night belonged to the Flaming Lips, who landed a spaceship onstage, then — flanked by an army of dancing Santas and Martians, and bolstered by their usual assortment of eye-melting live show tricks (dry ice, streamers, hundreds of balloons) — delivered an impassioned, ragged and downright joyful set ... the kind that makes you forget that frontman Wayne Coyne's voice has been shot since about 2003.

With so much energy buzzing in the air on Saturday, it's no wonder Sunday had such a low-key vibe. Most began packing up their campsites by midday, and as the sun began to set on the dusty fields, roughly one-fourth of the previous night's revellers were long gone, which is a shame. Why? Because they missed probably the best sets of the festival: First from Wilco, who injected spacey ambience into their threadbare tunes, and then from the White Stripes, who tore through a thunderous and squealing set with delightful abandon, making more noise than a two-piece should legally be allowed to.

The last band of the fest was venerable jam pioneers Widespread Panic, but, to be honest, by the time they took the stage, I was spent: too much sun, too much sound. But still, it was a blast. Four days of good times and grime. Is it the best festival in the world? Well, that's a discussion for another day. All I know is that myself — and 80,000 like me — had a blast, and I made it home in one piece.

Isn't that enough?

Check out You.R.Here, MTV News' new concert blog, for James' several-times-daily reports from Bonnaroo — and add your own comments and photos!

• Bonnaroo Blitz: Lily Allen, White Stripes, Franz

• Bonnaroo 2007 Performances
• The Tribe Of Bonnaroo '07

• The White Stripes
• The Police
• Lily Allen
• Franz Ferdinand
• Feist

The White Stripes' Jack White
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

The news happens all the time, even while you're catching up on beauty sleep. Check out this brief rundown to bring you up to speed this morning — a quick heads up from your friends at MTV News.

Here's what we've got:

There's a year of waiting until "Iron Man" is in theaters, but you don't have to hold out that long for a taste of the hero's adventures. We hung out in Tony Stark's office and even got to interact with his iconic mask and goof around with Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau — and we're sharing it all with you. Plus take a rare peek at two scenes as they're being shot. ...

"American Idol" champ Jordin Sparks has a busy schedule ahead, what with a three-month tour coming up and a debut album due "before Thanksgiving," so she's already giving her first record some serious thought. "I'd love to do a duet with Mario or Chris Brown," Sparks told us. "But let's see what happens. ... And I'm going to be doing the tour and trying to find songs at the same time. And then after the tour, it's gonna be record, record, record, write, write, write." ...

Theater employees may find you annoying, credits watchers, but Hollywood keeps delivering treats to the faithful who stick around until the very last line rolls. "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" is the latest blockbuster to reward moviegoers' patience, but it certainly isn't the first. Check out our favorite post-credits scenes — yes, "Napoleon Dynamite" and "The Matrix Reloaded" make the cut, along with a Muppets gem from way back.

Quote of the Day: "If you have to go to the bathroom, go. You ain't gonna get in trouble." — Diddy at his Wednesday night listening party

Here's what everyone else is talking about:

If you play the White Stripes album early without permission, Jack White will find you and tell you what he thinks. And it probably won't be good. Chicago DJ Electra learned this the hard way on Wednesday, when White called her from Spain to say he didn't appreciate the early spin — which led to terrible-quality MP3 radio rips floating all over the Internet. Electra turned to her blog to tell her side of the story. "I don't think I did anything wrong, and I don't think I am helping to ruin the music industry," she said in the post. "I think I made people excited for the new White Stripes record. I know that was our intention." In other Stripes news, the band announced Thursday that they have had to push back the September 4-13 dates for their U.S. tour due to "unforseen scheduling issues." ...

Linda Perry's show at the House of Blues Sunset Strip in West Hollywood on Friday night (June 1) will feature a very special guest, PerezHilton.com reports. Courtney Love is rumored to be playing a set of her own following Perry's performance. ...

The Police's reunion tour has already survived an "unbeLIEVably lame" show according to one critic. Look out, Sting — he's sitting right behind you. Yes, Stewart Copeland took to the forum on his Web site Thursday to share a frank account of the band's Wednesday night show in Vancouver with fans. "We are the mighty Police and we are totally at sea," the drummer wrote, noting a series of small errors that most concertgoers surely missed, including a less-than-stellar jump by Sting and a momentarily out-of-sync "Message in a Bottle." Instead of duking it out over the rough gig, Copeland said band laughed this "disaster gig" off. "It usually takes about four or five shows in a tour before you get to the disaster gig. But we're the Police so we are a little ahead of schedule," Copeland noted. ...

Paris Hilton shouldn't go to jail, Nicky Hilton told People — fair enough, it is her sister and all. But her reasoning may be a little off. "I think she should definitely be punished, but going to jail for a traffic violation is pretty absurd," Nicky said. Of course it was a probation violation, not a traffic violation that earned Paris her 23-day sentence. She is scheduled to report to jail on Tuesday. ...

Marilyn Manson's Eat Me, Drink Me is in stores Tuesday, but the entirety of the album is already streaming on Manson's MySpace page. ...

The Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr. is writing a screenplay. New York magazine reports that he is adapting the Charles Bukowski novel "Pulp." Hammond said he won't direct the film, which has a $3 million budget, but he does have some casting ideas ("I already have people in mind. I have it in my head — I could do it now," he said) and plans to be part of the process. "I wouldn't want someone to ruin my script. I don't think they'd let me direct, but I'd want to be somewhere in the picture like that." ...

Japanese director Hideo Nakata ("The Ring 2") and producer Taka Ichise ("The Grudge") are teaming up to direct "Inhuman," a horror project for 20th Century Fox, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The two previously teamed up for "Ringu." ...

Fifteen New Zealand actors who appeared in the "Lord of the Rings" films sued New Line on Wednesday in an effort to get a slice of the merchandising pie, Variety reported. The actors claim that, according to their contracts, they are entitled to a cut of the millions of dollars that fans spent on LOTR gear.

• 'Iron Man' Set Visit: Behind The Mask

• "Iron Man"

• The White Stripes
• Courtney Love
• The Police
• Paris Hilton
• Marilyn Manson

Bonnaroo 2007 Performances

• The National
• Lily Allen
• Damien Rice
• Regina Spektor
• Damian "Junior Gong" Marley

The Week In Pictures For February 16, 2007

• Britney Spears
• Beyoncé
• Dixie Chicks
• The Police

The Police Rehearsal And Press Conference At The Whisky A Go Go 02.12.07

• The Police
• Sting

It's Showtime!: 2007 Grammy Awards Photos

• Beyoncé
• Dixie Chicks
• Jamie Foxx
• Stevie Wonder
• The Police

What You Didn't See At The Grammys

• Justin Timberlake
• Timbaland
• P!nk
• Shakira
• Kanye West

The Week In Pictures For February 2, 2007

• Fall Out Boy
• Bow Wow
• Ciara
• The Police
• Pretty Ricky

Police, AC/DC, Gwen Stefani, More At Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductions

• The Police
• No Doubt
• Elvis Costello
• AC/DC
• Aerosmith