Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way Ball' Stage Biggest Ever Built To Tour

Posted 5/2/12 10:29 am EST by in Lady Gaga, Tour Dates


Lady Gaga's "Born This Way Ball" launched with a controversial bang last week when the pop diva took the stage at Seoul, South Korea's Olympic Stadium in front of 45,000 screaming fans.

All of those fans were adults, as we reported earlier, because the Korea Media Rating Board elevated the age rating for the concert from 12 to 18, prohibiting minors from seeing the show. The Board did not offer a reason why the show – which at the time of the imposed age restriction was still in rehearsals and has not been reviewed publicly – was considered unsuitable for children under 18.

Later, as the concert neared, the likely catalyst for the board's decision came more into focus as protests from a group of conservative Christians calling itself the Alliance for Sound Culture in Sexuality ramped up. The group papered Seoul with posters accusing Gaga of "spreading unhealthy sexual culture" through "lewd lyrics and performances."

So there's that.

The news today though is that her elaborate stage is the "largest scenic structure that's ever been built to tour," according to US Weekly. The stage, designed by Gaga and her creative team Haus of Gaga, took several months to construct and includes an enclosed area surrounded by a catwalk known as "The Monster Pit," a general admission area for hardcore fans who arrive early to the show. The very first Little Monster to arrive is given a commemorative key for the pit. The stage is modeled after a Gothic castle featuring viewing towers, intricate carvings and other medieval trappings.

Check it out below:

Are you loving Mother Monster's amazing stage? Let us know in the comments below!

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Ke$ha Tells V Magazine She Wants To Work With Justin Bieber

Posted 5/2/12 12:05 am EST by in Music


Ke$ha covers V Magazine's upcoming Americana Issue, on newsstands May 10, and opens up about everything from breaking in to the music business to her aversion to the Internet and television. "I don’t watch television at all," she tells the mag. "I’m not really on the Internet because it scares me.”

Talking about where she fits in the spectrum of pop music, the singer, who was styled for her V shoot by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele and photographed by Inez van lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, says, "I do feel like there are the pop stars of the world and then I’m like their dirty little sister, running around with s**t on my face in combat boots because I can’t walk in heels."

The magazine also talked to some of Ke$ha's high-profile collaborators for its profile on the star. Britney Spears, who landed one of her biggest hits in years with the Ke$ha co-penned "Till the World Ends," said she loves the "Tik Tok" singer's "carefree, fun-loving spirit" and works out to her beat-driven tracks. "They help me power through my workout," the pop diva tells V.

Photo by Inez van lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

Read on for an exclusive first look at the spread, including Ke$ha's thoughts on her new record, her working-class background and who she wants to work with (hint: she's after a very popular young male poster). Read More...

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Queen Wants No Part In Resurrecting Freddie Mercury Via Hologram

Posted 5/1/12 12:53 pm EST by in Music, tour


Queen

By Zachary Swickey

It’s been weeks since Tupac Shakur was brought back to life in video form via a hologram at this year’s Coachella Music Festival, and the eye-popping technology has brought out both enthusiasts and detractors of the idea. Queen fall firmly in the latter category and want to make it clear that you won’t be seeing a digital Freddie Mercury on stage with the legendary band anytime soon.

Queen drummer Roger Taylor says the group will never be performing alongside a holographic image of Mercury, and instead prefer a flesh-and-blood frontman. The group recently brought in “American Idol”-alum Adam Lambert to provide vocals for a new tour this summer.

Questioned by Billboard, Taylor said the idea of a Mercury hologram “did not sit well” with him and that you’ll never see him onstage appearing alongside one.

“I don’t think I want to. It just doesn’t sit well with me,” he told Billboard. “I don’t want to appear with a hologram of my dear friend. It’s the real one or no hologram for me."

He added: “I think it’s an amazing effect when used properly, obviously in darkness. Were somebody [else] to use a hologram of Freddie, I would have no objection.”

While Queen and Roger Taylor aren’t nuts about the prospect of using a hologram, many band are looking into the technology as a viable option or “solution.” Take TLC, for example. They just announced their plans to resurrect the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in digital holographic form for a world tour.

Additionally, the remaining Jackson family obviously liked what they saw at Coachella and now they are hoping to bring out a hologram form of the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, on what would be the world’s creepiest reunion tour ever for the Jackson Five.

Taking the idea to its extreme, System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian was talking about getting into the hologram game back in '08 due to rising touring costs and the pollution tours can cause, telling Rolling Stone, “I think we could reduce our need to travel if we could project ourselves into meetings and concerts. We have the technology, and we're not using it right now.

"It would open up a whole new world for touring. There would be no travel costs, so bands with very little money could play shows, and tickets would cost less," he continued while also stressing that the fans wouldn't mind seeing a hologram perform live as "it's not like the audience can touch me, anyway."

Why anyone would pay anything to watch a hologram image sing when they could just watch a performance online or on television is another question entirely. Half the fun of a concert is being there with your idol and catching something that is, despite setlists and rehearsals, unique in some way each time. It doesn't matter that you can't touch them – they were there doing what they do best and you were there to witness it.

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Childish Gambino Makes First Date Dreams Come True For MTV Newser

Posted 5/1/12 11:10 am EST by in First Date


By Rya Backer

Childish Gambino was something of a brass ring for First Date. There was a point when I was so desperate to be face to face with the multi-talented star that I took to annoying an intern at the time (HI, TRAVIS!) who once performed with him at the Long Island City venue The Creek and the Cave. When luck there had dissipated, I did the only thing I knew to do: wait very patiently for the next opportunity.

When he was in town recently to shoot episodes of "Hip Hop Squares," I got aggressive once again.

We locked in a date, and fresh off of a viral campaign (first popularized by MTV Splash Page, no less) for him to be Donatello in the upcoming live action revamp of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," we thought it would be only fitting to test his Ninja acumen while getting to know each other better. And where better to pick up on his skills than a restaurant called … wait for it … Ninja? There, we were met with mediocre-at-best food and terrifying-to-say-the-least thrills from the myriad ninjas dedicated to serving and scaring us (you’ll see what they offered up).

Between finally resolving that he’d make for a great live-action ninja and discussing our mutual admiration for the '90s classic "Blank Check," I resolved that any lady would be lucky to have Childish Gambino in her life. He’s hilarious, creative and made me feel safe enough from all the harm that a flying water balloon could offer.

Watch:

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Is John Mayer's 'Shadow Days' About Jennifer Aniston?

Posted 5/1/12 10:03 am EST by in Celebrity, Music


John Mayer

Despite officially breaking it off for good three years ago, there's a rumor that John Mayer's new single, "Shadow Days," is about Jen Aniston.

A source tells Usmagazine.com that the lead Born and Raised single is about the Hollywood A-lister and their on-again, off-again relationship. "'Shadow Days' is about Jen. It really took him a long time to get over her. He really loved her a lot," the source tells the website about Mayer's relationship with Aniston.

"He wrote the song as a farewell letter knowing [Jen] would hear it," the source added. "Ultimately he's done a lot of self reflection though and he realizes they weren't right for each other."

Mayer is no stranger to high-profile relationships (see also Minka Kelly, Taylor Swift, Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Love Hewitt for just a sampling of the ladies he’s been linked to), but it seems these days he’s focused on finding love and perhaps a new musical muse with someone who isn’t famous.

"[John and Jen] weren't right for each other, but he is really a good guy," the source continued. "He's looking for a nice, non-famous girl he can relate to. . . He loved [Jen and Jessica] both but it really affected him emotionally and it wasn't worth it."

Regardless of who "Shadow Days" is about, fans should look forward to more great music from John when he drops Born and Raised on May 22.

Listen to "Shadow Days" below and let us know in the comments if you think it is about Jennifer Aniston. Read More...

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Jack White Brings Blunderbuss To Life At LA Gig, Revisits White Stripes Fan Favorites

Posted 5/1/12 9:07 am EST by in Music, Tour Dates


Photo by Zachary Swickey

By Zachary Swickey

LOS ANGELES – Jack White already had two dates booked at LA’s iconic venue The Wiltern for the end of May when he suddenly added a date at the Mayan Theater for April 30.

Hitting the stage in a jet black long-sleeve shirt and black jeans to match, White brought out a group of six females as his new backing band: a wild-looking drummer, a flapper-esque violinist, a stand-up bassist (who was pregnant), a Dutch slide guitarist, a ravishing backup singer who doubled as tambourine master, and finally a cute young woman on keyboards.

White wasted no time diving right into material from his brand-new debut solo effort, Blunderbuss, which is expected to take Billboard’s #1 spot when the charts are revealed tomorrow. Our first taste was the album’s opening track, “Missing Pieces,” which the crowd had clearly already memorized as they sang along to every word. White’s latest single “Sixteen Saltines” was next and it whipped the crowd into a frenzy as they chanted along, “Who’s jealous, who’s jealous, who’s jealous of who?”

Next up was an old-school White Stripes track, “Hotel Yorba,” the first single from their ’01 effort White Blood Cells and their last as a little-known band – "Fell In Love with a Girl” what their next release. White next represented his outfit The Raconteurs with a cover of their tune “Top Yourself.”

Blunderbuss got some more representation as White ripped into “Love Interruption,” which enjoyed one of the more boisterous sing-a-longs of the evening. We were then treated to one of the album’s finest tracks, “Weep Themselves to Sleep,” which sounds like a number out of an Old West saloon (with a bit of grungy guitar added for modern flavor). Next up was “I’m Slowly Turning Into You” from the Stripes’ Icky Thump before White broke into his Dead Weather outfit's rocking “Blue Blood Blues.”

Read More...

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Here's The Bon Iver Erotic Fan Fiction You've Been Waiting For

Posted 4/30/12 3:19 pm EST by in Music, The Interweb


Bon Iver

Yeah, you read that correctly. It's also the funniest thing you will read today.

We were recently alerted to the existence of Bon Iver Erotic Stories, a fan fiction Tumblr about having sexytimes with Justin Vernon. Now, before we go any further, let us start by saying that the whole thing is quite safe for work. This is more a work of comedic genius than a "50 Shades of Grey"-like exploration of anyone's darkest, dirtiest urges for the rugged guitar strummer from the Wisconsin wilderness.

The blog's creator is clearly out to have a bit of fun at Bon Iver/Vernon's expense. But fans shouldn't fret, the ribbing is gentle, we swear … just the way Vernon would no doubt like it.

Like the best Tumblrs (we're looking at you, #whatshouldwecallme … we always are!), the idea is simple – just pictures of Vernon matched with short quips about frolicking sexily with the singer or the various oh-so-hipster romantic things he's done for the object of his affection. The captions play so perfectly into the super sensitive man of nature persona that Vernon has going on that it's impossible not to laugh.

Nothing has ever so accurately reflected our feelings about a musician! After the jump, check out our 10 favorite quips at Vernon's touchy-feely expense.

Read More...

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Usher Can't Stop Releasing Awesome New Songs

Posted 4/30/12 1:51 pm EST by in Usher


First there was the sexy sex beast slow jam "Climax." Then there was the beat-driven thumper "Scream." Now, it's "Lemme See" featuring Rick Ross. All three songs are featured on Usher's new record, Looking for Myself, due June 12 … so, well, at least we already know what we'll be doing that day.

>> It's Time For An Usher Greatest Hits Album

"This album has many different views and many different perspectives," Usher recently told MTV News. "Whereas the first song ['Climax'] was a little bit more artistic and a little bit more soulful, and it has done everything, it probably exceeded my expectations, I mean, from the moment I was able to give it away. I was able to kind of be reintroduced in a way musically, and thank you to [producer] Diplo, but 'Scream' is really like the next step. It's just in time for summer and the type of experience that I want people to get out of the album."

Watch:

Get More: Music News

Listen to "Lemme See" below! Read More...

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Kelly Rowland Exits UK 'X Factor' After Just One Year On Panel

Posted 4/30/12 12:53 pm EST by in Kelly-Rowland, the x factor


Kelly Rowland

By Zachary Swickey

Kelly Rowland has been charming fans overseas for the last year as a judge on the UK’s “The X Factor"; however, her days on the panel are unfortunately over, she just confirmed.

Rowland blamed “scheduling issues” and “global commitments” for her exit from Simon Cowell’s hit. The singer released a statement, saying she was unable to find a “workable solution” after discussing it with the show’s producers for a number of weeks.

“I love the UK and being part of the show last year. Mentoring the girls was such an incredible experience I will never forget. I would like to thank Simon for the great opportunity and asking me to be a judge last season,” Rowland said.

Rowland joined the revamped panel in 2011. Danni Minogue (pop star sister of global megastar Kylie Minogue) – who was a judge on the program from 2007-10 – is already rumored as Rowland’s replacement.

After being a dominant force in UK television for several years, “The X Factor” suffered low ratings last year as it slowly shed viewers in the weeks following its season premiere. Likewise, “American Idol” and new hit “The Voice” have created some very strong competition for the US iteration of the program, which didn’t connect with audiences last year and is also on the lookout for a new panel of judges itself.

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