Slash issues statement on the Jim Marshall death

Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash has issued a statement saluting the late-Jim Marshall, developer of the Marshall Amp.I consider myself very fortunate to have known the late Jim Marshall. He was such a fantastic individual.Not only did he create the loudest, most effective, brilliant-sounding Rock & Roll amplifier ever designed, but he was a caring, hardworking family man who remained true to his integrity to the very end. His work ethic was unequaled and his passion unrivaled.He took great care of me personally, as one of his loyal fans and Marshall Amp enthusiasts, ever since we first met in the early 90's.At that time, he did the unprecedented; he had the first-ever Artist Model Marshall series designed for me when my Marshall amps were destroyed in a Guns N Roses concert riot in St. Louis in 1991. We had been friends ever since.Jim cared for all his customers like they were his family. He would do whatever it took to make sure an artist was completely satisfied and he made sure his staff did likewise. It was very important to him that Marshall quality and customer care was paramount.Jim's passing marks the end of a very loud and colorful era. From Pete Townshend to Kerry King, Marshall Amplifiers have been behind every great Rock & Roll guitarist since the beginning. Marshall Amplification is one of the most enduring, iconic brands of contemporary music history.This industry will likely never see the likes of Jim again. But his legacy will live on forever.

Jennifer Lopez causes balloon mayhem

Jennifer Lopez thrilled her children by letting 500 balloons fly into the air.The singer-and-actress has twins Max and Emme with her estranged husband Marc Anthony. They turned four in February and Jennifer celebrated with a lavish party.As part of the bash she organised for 500 helium-filled balloons to decorate the grounds of her San Fernando Valley home. The children were delighted ' especially when Jennifer let them loose.It took several trucks just to deliver them, and Jennifer's backyard brimmed with balloons. But when the party was over, rather than have her staff pop them all, she told them to cut the strings and let 'em fly,' a source told National Enquirer.The tots and their friends were heard shrieking with excitement. However, some of Jennifer's neighbours were said to be concerned about the impact the balloons would have on the environment.Jennifer split from Marc last year and they are currently in the process of divorcing. She is now dating her backing dancer Casper Smart, but has refuted reports they are planning to wed.

Rihanna admits fan anxiety

Rihanna finds people screaming for her 'anxiety at its finest'.The superstar is constantly hounded by the press and fans alike. Rihanna finds the constant attention uncomfortable at times.'It's like a rollercoaster. It's anxiety at its finest and it's overwhelming. You almost hold your breath until the cameras stop flashing. It will never be second nature,' she told British magazine more!Rihanna has revealed how she stays grounded despite all the craziness surrounding her.The 24-year-old singer's friends are the reason she remains down to earth.My experiences in life and having a good group of friends,' she revealed when asked how her feet are kept on the ground. 'They are brutally honest and I need that! I'm very loyal and I'll tell it like it is. But I turn to my friends all the time - I trust them so much. I don't care what the media think, but I respect their opinions and their advice is never shady.'

Kanye West 'confesses Kim love'

Kanye West has professed his 'love' for Kim Kardashian on his new track.Speculation over the pair's relationship has been rife for years. Kanye's ex-girlfriend Amber Rose has even blamed Kim for her break-up with the rapper in 2010.In his new song Theraflu, Kanye has confessed his adoration for the reality TV beauty who became estranged from her husband Kris Humphries after just 72 days of marriage last year. The rapper also taunts basketball star Kris who plays for Jay-Z's team the New Jersey Nets."I'll admit, I fell in love with Kim/ Round the same time she fell in love with him/ Well, that's cool, baby girl, do your thang," he raps on the track. "Lucky I didn't have Jay drop him from the team."Kanye's ex-girlfriend Amber is now engaged to Wiz Khalifa. The 34-year-old star refers to the relationship in the song. "And the whole industry want to f**k your old chick/ Only n***a I got respect for is Wiz," he says. Kim's sister Khloé recently addressed her sister's rumoured romance with the star. She confessed the two almost became a couple at one point but the timing was wrong. "They were talking and trying to go on a date here and there, but it just didn't work out,' she said. "I know they hung out, but I know it's never gotten to there [turned romantic]... I genuinely think that because we have so much in common - like our families, losing parents and we do have a lot of connections - I think that if they were to go there, it would be a long relationship.'

Britney Spears' fiancé to become conservator

Britney Spears' fiancé Jason Trawick is reportedly set to become the singer's legal conservator.The 30-year-old pop star has been under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears for four years following her very public mental breakdown.TMZ reports that Britney's conservators will file a legal petition Friday asking the court to list Jason as co-conservator.Sources inform the website that Britney's father is 'thrilled' about the move, but it's rumoured that Britney desires an end to the conservatorship altogether.Britney has said that she feels she is ready to resume control of her life,' an insider told Radar Online in recent weeks.It is unlikely that Britney's conservatorship will be completely lifted for a long period of time.It looks like it won't be ending anytime soon, but Britney feels that she is powerless to fight it,' the source explained. 'She has been on two wildly successful worldwide concert tours, has gotten engaged, and is now in talks to join a major television show, what more does she have to do to prove to people that she is ready to resume control of her life? Britney has been told Jamie's lawyers could petition the judge for the conservatorship to end later this year, and not anytime sooner.

Jessie J 'stress fears'

Jessie J is reportedly worried she's 'taken on too much'.The British songstress is currently a judge on the UK version of The Voice and is reportedly struggling to maintain her relentless work schedule. Jessie is said to be romancing rapper Tinie Tempah and is buckling under the pressure of maintaining both her professional and personal lives. Jessie told pals, 'I'm worried I've taken on too much.' She often works 18-hour days and gets by on four hours' sleep and two meals a day,' a source told British magazine more!Jessie burst onto the music scene with her debut single Do It Like a Dude in late 2010 and has since being making waves in the industry. The 24-year-old star is said to be working hard to maintain her level of popularity.'She's worried that if she doesn't say yes to every career opportunity, everything could slip away,' the insider added. Her inner circle are concerned. If Jessie's finding her schedule hard to handle now, they fear she may struggle once she has live shows every weekend.

Wolfsbane announce October UK tour

Wolfsbane were originally founded on the notion that kick-ass music and good drunken times are our best defence against life's shittiness and, 17 years after their split, the band's credo has not altered one jot. In fact, 'Wolfsbane Save The World' may be their finest album to date. Blistering performances from all concerned, and a revitalised Blaze Bayley in particular, ensure that this is a thrilling ride from start to finish. But it's the sheer, life affirming quality of these songs that seals the deal: from the serotonin of the opening 'Blue Sky', the priapic pummel of 'Teacher' and 'Starlight''s sublime muscular balladry through to the scything hooks and rambunctious spirit of 'Live Before I Die', the mad-eyed Meatloaf-punk of 'Illusion Of Love' and the sardonic grind'n'swagger of 'Did It For The Money', this is both exactly what the metal doctor ordered for these grey days and one of the finest and most joyous British rock albums in recent memory. Holy Shitting Christ, how we've missed them! 9/10.' (Dom Lawson, Metal Hammer, February 2012.The original line up of mighty British Heavy Metal band Wolfsbane, who reformed in 2011 to record their first studio album for 17 years, 'Wolfsbane Save The World', released in January 2012 to huge acclaim, have confirmed a nine date October UK tour. Dates are:-

Weds. Oct. 17th - The Musician, LEICESTER www.themusicianpub.co.uk
Thurs. Oct. 18th - Bootleggers, KENDAL www.bootleggersbar.com
Fri. Oct. 19th - Eric's, LIVERPOOL www.ericslive.com
Sat. Oct. 20th - The Attic, RUSHDEN www.theatticlive.co.uk
Sun. Oct. 21st - The Corporation, SHEFFIELD www.corporation.org.uk
Weds Oct. 24th - Fibbers, YORK www.fibbers.co.uk
Thurs. 25th - The Garage, LONDON www.thegarage.co.uk
Fri. Oct. 26th - The Cathouse, GLASGOW www.cathouse.co.uk
Sat. Oct 27th - Robin Hood 2, BILSTON www.therobin.co.uk

Wolfsbane Save The World', the group's effervescent, hard driving, melodious, hard riffing, joyous, totally uplifting fourth studio opus, is, to put it quite simply, the album the band always threatened to make, but never actually achieved. None of the producers on the band's 3 earlier albums was ever able to harness Wolfsbane's unrelenting live sound onto a studio album ' even including Rick Rubin himself ' but, 17 years on, the band themselves have done it. 'Wolfsbane Save The World' was recorded, engineered and produced by guitarist Jase Edwards at his studio 'Majestic Splendour', where he has produced a number of 'name' bands in the past.

Beastie Boys Adam Yauch and Mike D busy with side projects

Adam Yauch and Mike D from the Beastie Boys have been keeping busy in their time between albums.Yauch, who recently battled cancer, has acquired the rights for the LCD Soundsystem film Shut Up and Play the Hits for his company Oscilloscope Laboratories. He expects to release the film to theaters in North America this summer and in the rest of the world shortly thereafter.The film documents the group's final show at Madison Square Garden in 2011. Yauch said of the film "Perhaps having grown up in a band for most of my life ... a band that formed when I was 16 years old ... and having released our first record when I was still in high school, this film addresses so many questions. For instance, it can be pretty clear when a band starts, but perhaps less so when it ends, or how it should end. In that sense, it's brilliant of James [Murphy] to end it in such a definitive way."Mike Diamond (aka Mike D) is curating a visual arts show at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art running from April 20 to May 6.Diamond told Rolling Stone "As somebody who's been making music most of their life, I've always been interested and I've had the good fortune of meeting a fair number of visual artists and if you look at what my band has done, visuals have always been almost an equally important presentation for us as music was.

The Jacksons tour for first time in 28 years

The remaining Jackson brothers, Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Tito, will be taking the Unity Tour on the road this June and July. It's the first time they have toured together since The Victory Tour, with their brother Michael, in 1984.The Jacksons first achieved international superstardom with their late brother Michael, becoming the first group ever to have their first four singles hit #1 on the Billboard Charts. Throughout their four-decade long career, the group revolutionized music and pop culture, getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. The Unity Tour 2012 will be yet another milestone for the Jacksons, bringing one of the most famous family in music back together for a historic series of shows.Honoring Michael's memory and bringing the fans all the timeless hits they know and love is also paramount for Jermaine Jackson. "I am so happy and excited to perform again onstage with my brothers," he said. "I can't wait to sing all the songs that were so much a part of all of our lives. We are ready and committed to keep the family's legacy alive and perform once again with the highest level of excellence, creativity, and most of all, integrity."

The dates for The Unity Tour:

6/18 - Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre
6/19 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center
6/20 - Rama, ON - Casino Rama
6/22 - Merrillville, IN - Star Plaza Theatre
6/23 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
6/24 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion
6/26 - Cleveland, OH - Jacob's Pavilion
6/28 - New York, NY - Apollo
6/29 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata
6/30 - Englewood, NJ - Bergen PAC
7/01 - Baltimore, MD - Lyric Opera House
7/03 - Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall
7/06 - Raleigh, NC - Raleigh Amphitheatre
7/07 - Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre
7/08 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park
7/10 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
7/11 - St. Louis, MO - Fox Theatre
7/13 - Dallas, TX - Verizon Theatre
7/14 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Theatre (Verizon Theatre)
7/17 - Albuquerque, NM - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
7/18 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge (Comerica Theater)
7/20 - Las Vegas, NV - The Cannery
7/21 - San Diego, CA - Harrah's Rincon
7/22 - Los Angeles, CA - The Greek
7/27 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
7/28 - Lincoln City, OR - Chinook Winds Casino
7/29 - Snoqualmie, WA - Snoqualmie Casino

Viva Brother split

Viva Brother have announced via Twitter that they're "signing off"... for good.The Slough outfit released their debut album 'Famous Last Words' last year and also had to change their name from Brother to Viva Brother in June 2011 due a naming dispute after losing a legal battle with an Australian Celtic band of the same name.The album, panned by critics for its lack of original content, peaked at #34 on the UK Album Charts in its first week of release.In the post they thanked their fans and posted a new track 'I Don't Want to Be Loved'.Their was speculation that it could be an April Fools Day joke, but the band's have confirmed to Music-News.com that it is indeed true.The band had released images of them recording their second album in the countryside on their official Facebook page, with hopes of them releasing it before the end of 2012, that will no longer see the light of day.

Jessie J exclusive free 'Priceless Gig' this week

MasterCard unveiled plans for a Priceless Gig with BRIT Award-winning singer-songwriter Jessie J, to be held at London music venue Under The Bridge on 5 April. 400 lucky people have been chosen to see Jessie J's at this intimate setting.Jessie's own brand of 'ghetto-pop fabulosity' was honed at London's legendary BRIT School. As one of the UK's most talked about female artists, her debut album 'Who You Are', released in February 2011, charted at number two in the UK Album Chart, while her latest single 'Domino' charted at number one in the UK in January 2012.At the Priceless Gig, Jessie J will also perform live on stage with Samantha Neal, the lucky winner of MasterCard's Priceless Duets competition, which invited fans to submit an audition video to win the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform with their music idol. Samantha, 23, from Bushey in Hertfordshire, impressed judges with her winning audition.Register online at pricelesslondon.co.uk to be the first to hear about other priceless events.

Backstreet Boys excited about cinema show

Backstreet Boys' Howie D 'can't wait' for fans to see the band's new cinema cast.The pop group and New Kids on the Block are taking part in a ground-breaking show from London which will be screened to cinemas across Europe.Howie of the Backstreet Boys is looking forward to fans seeing the live show on April 29."It"s so exciting to know that even though we weren't able to bring our show to certain places in Europe our fans will still have the opportunity to experience it like they were there,' he exclaimed in a statement. 'We can't wait for everyone to see the show!'The event will be the shown in over 300 hundred cinemas in the UK & Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.ABC Entertainment and Livebeats are co-producing the event. Frank Volpe, who is coordinating the cinema cast says the pop groups were a joy to work with, and hopes the event will highlight the new experience of cinema-going. 'Working with New Kids on the Block and The Backstreet Boys is such a perfect opportunity to reach out to markets that already clearly enjoy the cinema experience and will highlight this ground-breaking development as a route all bands and artists will have the opportunity to embrace in the next ten years,' he said of the event.