Gary Moore to pay for plagiarizing

German Guitar Gaffe
Thursday, Dec 4, 2008 11:01AM
A former Thin Lizzy guitarist isn't having any luck in Germany. A Munich court has ordered Gary Moore to pay for plagiarizing the guitar solo on his 1990 song, "Still Got The Blues."
The song wasn't in print in 1990 but the court decided there was no way Moore didn't copy it, according to Reuters. Moore may have only heard it live or on the radio, but too bad. He can appeal the decision but in the meantime has been ordered to pay damages. The amount hasn't been set.
Jud's Gallery bandleader Juergen Winter brought the case.
Moore played with Thin Lizzy for only a few months in 1974 and then in 1978-79.
The song is from Moore's album of the same name and was apparently pretty successful.



The court says Moore's solo sounds too much like one in "Nordrach," a 1974 song by German band Jud's Gallery. (listen to 5:20)

Gene Simmons, Belinda Stronach and that other dubious Canadian coaltion

Sometimes it takes a cartoonish American rock star to expose the fragility of the Canadian mindset. Gene Simmons strutted into the Great White North last week in all his hirsute, tongue-exposing glory and brashly declared that he would save the Canadian music business and provide a revolutionary path to international success for our artists. Isn't that sweet? It didn't seem to matter that Canadian music does not need his help, or that he offered no details for his rock 'n' roll New Deal, or that he is actually only relaunching a record label that has already failed once before. No. The major domestic media dutifully welcomed him with star billing, paparazzi photographs and celebrity-style interviews. Apparently we Canadians know our rules of behaviour: When an American pop icon comes to town looking to make a deal, we blissfully forego the content of his intentions and get all Sally Field about it. He likes us! He really likes us! So what if he's not very clear on what he's talking about?

Don't get me wrong. There are undeniable reasons to respect the larger-than-life KISS bassist, born Chaim Witz. He is a genial and boffo businessman who has turned a makeup-clad passable '70s pop-rock band - yes, KISS fans, despite some good tunage they've never exactly been Led Zeppelin - into an enduring, profitable touring act. Consider the ongoing industry of KISS products - and a hit Simmons reality TV show to boot - and you can only conclude that the fire-breather knows how to make a buck.

And so it is not surprising that Simmons would see Canadian music as prospective prey, and partner with Belinda Stronach in the process. (Just how many odd coalitions can this land entertain in one week?) And he didn't really seem to care that his primary investor was presiding over cuts to auto plants and 850 jobs in Ontario while the new venture was being announced. It's understandable. Looking for new opportunities is what Simmons does. But even by KISS standards, he had some audacity to cast himself as the new saviour of Canadian music in a country that is already (arguably) the most successful per capita exporter of music in the world.

"We're going to make sure that the next generation of world stars that emanate from Canada are at the top of the charts," Simmons told me when stopping into my program last week. He would ensure this by personally being involved in "every facet of the band's life and career" (he also intends to turn the signing of any Canadian bands to his label into a reality show). Ahem. Sounds tantalizing. When I pressed him (repeatedly) about the existing success of Canadian musicians, he responded that Gretzky, Jim Carrey and Mike Myers had needed to go to the States. "But they're not musicians," I responded. "I don't understand the point you're trying to make," he dryly replied.

The point is that I'm not entirely sure that Simmons has heard of Feist, Arcade Fire, Barenaked Ladies, Broken Social Scene or any number of Canadian acts that have built success in Canada through a strong and supportive infrastructure, a collective national musical legacy, and healthy government regulation (CanCon) before taking it to the rest of the world (not to mention those artists that I'm sure he has heard of: Nickelback, Avril Lavigne, Nelly Furtado, Celine Dion, Michael Bublé and so on). According to 2007 statistics, Canadian recording artists were the only music-makers to see a rise in sales in the United States (15%) last year, including Americans themselves. Our music culture is one of the things we unequivocally do well in this country.
But therein lies the nod to our own insecurities. Why didn't we collectively (and affectionately) run Simmons and his dazzling tongue out of the country last week for anointing himself our musical saviour? Why didn't we collectively roll our eyes and ask him what the hell he thinks he's talking about? Is it possible that at some level our ongoing inferiority complex still leads us to believe we need Gene Simmons to confirm our appeal?

Simmons told me towards end of our chat that Canadians will "only get the respect you demand." He makes a good case. Maybe we need to demand that we will survive without the kiss of Simmons Records.

Jian Ghomeshi is the host of Q on CBC Radio One at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., Monday to Friday.
http://www.cbc.ca/q/

More Re-structuring!

So if you haven't Figured it out, we are joined by a new member. Marc Dion joins in as lead vocalist, bringing great experience and charisma to the front of the stage. We'll be taking some time to work on our craft. . . and add new material to our set list.

Thanks for continued support.

AC/DC!

News

We will be making some chages/additions to our team . . . You'll just have to come out to one of our shows to see what exactly that is.

Groundspeed

I (still) wanna be a Rock Star!

Randy MacMillan Benefit

Months before Randy had his Life threatening experience, he and I talked about holding a dance for all of the folks from General Mills (his employer at the time), who were losing their jobs. Kind of a "going away party". It never really got off the ground, and we all went our separate ways.

Now, 9 months later, We gather to celebrate life, family, friendship, and a guy named Randy. . . Now that's a party!

New pics

New pics from Stirling 150th are uploaded into the slideshow! a great time was had!

3 in a Row!

So, we are booked for 3 shows the next 3 weeks. . . and looking forward to it! At the end of August, we're going to try a little harder to look for work. . . life can be pretty busy some times. After all, we are all family guys and have busy jobs and lives. . . but the music keeps us sane.

Some new material has come together for us. With the addition of Gord and Ernie, we have been able to tackle some pretty tricky song choices, with great success! Music from Boston, Styx, and REO Speedwagon really comes alive. . . and yes - these are classics that you can dance to.

So we look forward to the rest of the Summer and hope to see some smiling faces out on the dance floor!

Rock you!

John

Good crowd at the street dance

Downtown Stirling saw another good-sized crowd drop by for last Friday night’s street dance fund-raiser for the 150th anniversary celebrations. Groundspeed once again provided the entertainment. Above, Gary McInroy belts one out for the crowd. Photo: Terry Bush

Styx - Renegade Live

Friday night

The weather forecast isn't looking very promising (rain expected) . . . but it may change with luck. In the event of cancellation, I will post the re-scheduled date here. We'll keep watching!

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/CAON0698

Cheers,

John

Getting the Led Out

Jason Bonham: "Zeppelin reunion was like penalty shoot-out."

Monday, 16 Jun 2008 12:30

Drummer Jason Bonham has said joining his father's former bandmates at the Led Zeppelin reunion concert was as nerve-wracking as a penalty shoot-out.With Bonham's father John having died in 1980, the Foreigner drummer stepped in as Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John-Paul Jones played together for the first time in years.And while the excitement over the gig was evident by the speed with which fans applied for tickets for the December show at London's O2 Arena, Bonham has explained that the concertgoers' passion did nothing to abate his nerves."It was like the penalty shoot-out at the World Cup, but you're taking everyone one," he told Musician, the official magazine of the Musician's Union."I had to shoot 16 times and get the goal every time."He added: "We all arrived separately and didn't communicate with each other until ten minutes before we went on. At that point I don't know what I was feeling."I was breathing deeply trying to keep calm. I knew I could do the gig, but could I do it when it counted?"Though Bonham has since said he would be thrilled to play with the rock legends again, no future dates have been discussed."It's hard to be in this situation where it was so good and now I'm left in limbo about what's going to happen next," he admitted."I managed to pull Excalibur out of the stone and, for a short period, I carried the sword but then I was told, 'no, no, put it back in the stone now'."I'm happy with what happened and if I ask for me it's me being greedy."Page and Jones joined the Foo Fighters onstage at their Wembley Stadium concert last weekend, running through several Led Zeppelin classics

The Hip coming to Belleville

Boston

Band BOSTON Kicks Off Summer Tour on June 6, 2008
Remastered Greatest Hits CD Release from Sony Legacy


The legendary band BOSTON will headline the outdoor festival at Marina Park on Friday, June 6 in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The show kicks off a summer of stadium, concert and festival dates that will span the United States and Canada.

Seasoned Stryper frontman Michael Sweet and new fan phenom Tommy DeCarlo join BOSTON veterans Jeff Neal, Kimberley Dahme, Gary Pihl and of course, Tom Scholz on stage this summer. Gary, the longest reigning member of BOSTON next to Tom, joined the band in 1985 to help complete “Third Stage,” and through his efforts, the band reemerged in 1987 for the Third Stage Tour, which set stadium records across the US.

In the mid-70’s, Tom Scholz withdrew his life’s savings and used it to record several songs which he had written. By the process of overdubbing, Tom played all the instruments except drums, which were played by his friend Jim Masdea, and Brad Delp sang all of the vocal parts. The resulting demos included 4 songs which attracted the attention of three major record labels and two managers. Following completion of two additional demos which included “More Than a Feeling,” Brad and Tom were signed to Epic Records, released the first album under the name BOSTON in 1976. The album, most of which was recorded by Tom in his basement studio included 5 of the 6 songs embodied on those demo tapes, and became the highest selling debut album of all time.

Many remember where they were when they first heard “More Than a Feeling” or “Hitch a Ride” on the airwaves back in 1976. BOSTON’s self-titled first album has sold over 17 million copies to date, and has seen a resurgence in sales after it was remastered by Scholz, along with their second album, “Don’t Look Back,” in 2006. “Amanda,” from Third Stage in 1986, shot to the top of the charts and held a record-breaking stay at #1, in spite of being the only hit single that year not accompanied by a TV video.

With over 30 million albums sold worldwide, hits like “Peace of Mind,” “Smokin',” and “Rock & Roll Band” are still as ubiquitous on rock and roll radio as they were when they were new. Coinciding with the summer tour is a fully remastered Greatest Hits CD (Sony Legacy.) Lead-off singles from all five BOSTON albums will be included, as well as new photos from throughout the years and liner notes written by Tom Scholz.

BOSTON will be performing many of their classics this summer, including some fan favorites that have not been on the set lists for many years. For complete show itinerary updates, band bios and photos, visit http://bandboston.com/

Bowie

REO Speedwagon

Blasts from the past

They keep you real. Never forget where you came from. . . Who you are now is because of who you were then. You can't change the past, or what you did or didn't do, but God damn-it . . . good or bad, you are what you are . . . Do I sound like I'm trying to convince myself?

John Banville

Broken Girl

A friend from high school (in The Netherlands) plays bass in a band in St. Louis. It's called Panic Attack:
http://www.panicattackmusic.com/

Speaking of Aging Rockers . . .

By Christine Kearney
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The unlikely image of a 92-year-old war bride screaming The Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go" into a microphone backed by an elderly chorus has already captivated live audiences around the world.
Now the film version is set to do the same.Young at Heart" documents the group of U.S. senior citizens belting out songs by Sonic Youth through to James Brown. The small-town act has been running for some 25 years but international fame is now at hand."A monster has been created," British filmmaker Stephen Walker joked in an interview about the film's rise.It started as a 2006 British television documentary and became an audience favorite at the Los Angeles and Sundance film festivals in 2007 and 2008.The opening sequence showing Eileen Hall, then 92, singing the 1982 hit from punk-rock group The Clash provided the inspiration for Walker when he first saw the group onstage in London in 2005.
"I was totally blown away," Walker said. "It was an amazing way to look at this song afresh. It becomes a song about love and death and not about relationships."That led to Walker spending several months filming the group in Northampton, Massachusetts -- population 30,000 -- as members struggled to master lyrics from Sonic Youth's "Schizophrenia" to Allen Toussaint's "Yes We Can Can."
The film opens across the United States this week and, after scoring distribution deals, will soon open in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Japan and Australia.Besides giving new meaning to lyrics from popular hits, the film is comedic and poignant as it explores friendship, old age and death.It also addresses a society fed up with a "youth-obsessed and celebrity culture," Walker said."People are getting something extraordinary from this," Walker said about the standing ovations at preview screenings in the United States. "Somehow a nerve is being touched here."Bob Cilman, the group's musical director for the past 25 years, said the popularity showed that audiences wanted to see more elderly people in the public spotlight, on stage or in film.
"Whether it is Australia, France or America, everybody is obsessed with youth and we fly in the face of that," said Cilman, 54. "People applaud it because (youth culture) is not what people want but it is what people are spoon-fed."Stan Goldman, 78, shown in the film singing a duet of James Brown's "I Feel Good," told Reuters the group did not seek rock star status."In our wildest imaginations we never anticipated this," he said.Pat Linderme, 77, said the goal was simple -- to sing and be happy."You get so caught up in your singing you forget your pain," she said.
Reuters/Nielsen

Great Song

In the dismal darknessI have sat and gazed, amazed at the blazing factories.
Like the lonely man who stands on the seashore,
And I am afraid. As weary as I am, I try. I seem to see that things look ok. Run, run in your skin. Look what the wind just blew in. Many lovely ladies I have felt, touched. And I was not afraid. I took them out dancing, out romancing, and I was not afriad. Then somewhere from the north, This gale I knew just flew in, And I am afraid.Run, run in your skin. Look what the wind just blew in.

Phil Lynott
(Thin Lizzy)

http://www.thin-lizzy.net/

Back in Tweed

We're back at the Tweedsmuir this Saturday night. It seems like we're performing there either at the beginning or the end of something; some phase of the bands change or growth . . . sometimes both at the same time! Either way, I have a pretty good feeling about it . . .

Anyway, here's a list of some of the classic music we have in store. . . and yes, much of it is Canadian rock that has fond memories for a lot of us . . .

Harlequin, April Wine, 54 40, The Band, Pink Floyd, The Doobies, Bruce Springsteen, Peter Frampton, The Tragically Hip, Foot in Cold Water, Doucette, Billy Idol, Sweet, The Cars, Deep Purple, Loverboy, Billy Joel, Grand Funk, Trooper, The Stones, Prism, David Wilcox, BTO, and more . . .

News

We have a new line up . . .
We're pleased to bring in Drummer Ernie Chrysler. Ernie is a seasoned musician with a wide background in percussion, as well as teaching music.

Also, keyboardist Gord Newman brings in a whole lotta extra stuff . . . we've never sounded so good. Looking forward to performing soon, as we are now ready to add some dates to the calendar!

John

It's too damn quiet!

Hope to get out there soon. . . . I'm missing the sound of a loud amplifier, the smell of stale beer (not really), and the sight of a sea of moving bodies . . . . OK, I don't ever remember a "sea" of moving bodies, more like a "pond", but I miss it!

John