2003

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said he favors developing technology to remotely destroy computers used for illegal downloads represents a dramatic escalation in the increasingly contentious rhetoric over pirated music.
During a discussion of methods to frustrate computer users who illegally exchange music and movie files over the Internet, Hatch asked technology executives about ways to damage computers involved in such file trading. Legal experts have said any such attack would violate federal anti-hacking laws.
“No one is interested in destroying anyone’s computer,” replied Randy Saaf of MediaDefender Inc., a secretive Los Angeles company that builds technology to deliberately download pirated material very slowly so other users can’t.
“I’m interested,” Hatch interrupted. He said damaging someone’s computer “may be the only way you can teach somebody about copyrights.”
The senator, a composer who earned $18,000 last year in song-writing royalties, acknowledged Congress would have to enact an exemption for copyright owners from liability for damaging computers. He endorsed technology that would twice warn a computer user about illegal online behavior, “then destroy their computer.”
“If we can find some way to do this without destroying their machines, we’d be interested in hearing about that,” Hatch said. “If that’s the only way, then I’m all for destroying their machines. If you have a few hundred thousand of those, I think people would realize” the seriousness of their actions.
“There’s no excuse for anyone violating copyright laws,” Hatch said.
Source Billbord.com.

Preliminary plans are underway for a Simon and Garfunkel reunion tour for the fall. The agents for Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are collaborating on “initial explorations” regarding a tour, which is tentatively set to play arenas.
Aside from a rendition of “The Sounds of Silence” at the Grammys earlier this year, the famed folk/pop duo hasn’t performed together since the Concert Event of a Lifetime tour in early 1994. On that trek, the pair played to large crowds, including a sold-out run of 21 shows at the Paramount in New York.
Source Billboard.com.

Dashboard Confessional has left its support slot on Beck’s North American tour, effective immediately. The Chris Carrabba-led group played its final gig on the trek Saturday outside Denver. The move is being chalked up to “circumstances beyond our control” on Dashboard’s official Web site, although sources indicate the band left the tour for financial reasons.
Fellow support act the Black Keys will remain on the trek through its June 27 conclusion in Irvine, Calif., and will play a longer set in Dashboard’s absence.
The move comes amid reports that despite respectable business in markets such as Atlanta and Chicago, the tour is not performing as well as had been expected at the box office. Venues for two of the remaining seven shows are being downsized, beginning Wednesday (June 18) in Vancouver. That show has been moved from the 10,000-capacity Plaza of Nations to the 2,788-capacity Orpheum Theatre. Sources say only about 1,400 tickets have been sold for the performance.
Meanwhile, Thursday’s concert at Portland, Ore.’s Rose Garden Arena has been moved to the Keller Auditorium.
Sources say the venue changes would have required Dashboard to accept a lesser performance fee, which the group declined to do, in favor of beginning promotional work for its new Vagrant album. The set, “A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar,” is due Aug. 12.
According to the Dashboard site, fans wishing refunds can obtain them at points of purchase. “However, we STRONGLY recommend that you do yourself a favor and take in the rest of their tour dates and experience the creative brilliance that is Beck,” the site says. “We have had a great time on this tour; we were treated so well by Beck and his crew that we will be forever grateful.”
Dashboard Confessional is expected to return to the road later this summer.
Source Billboard.com.

Lollapalooza has canceled its opening date. Lollapalooza was to open July 3 in Ionia, Mich., but organizers have called off that date because of “staging and technical difficulties with the event site.” That’s got Ionia officials hopping mad. Korina Haga of the Ionia Fair Association tells The Grand Rapids Press her office found out about the cancellation from a Lansing radio station, not from the tour. She says they were able to handle 25,000 Metallica fans a few years ago and they could easily handle that many Jane’s Addiction fans. Lollapalooza publicist Laura Cohen says the problem was with the size of the stage in Ionia. Jane’s Addiction didn’t think they could fit all their production onto it. She says slow sales were not behind the cancellation. About 4,000 tickets were sold for that stop. The tour will now open July 4 in Noblesville, Ind.
Source Pollstar.com.

Ween is developing a computer software application dubbed “WeenAmp” that will allow fans one-click access to the band’s online radio station, official Web site, message board and chat rooms, and its own peer-to-peer service for trading live concerts. The group hopes to make the software available on copies of its upcoming Sanctuary album, “Quebec” or its Web site. “Quebec” will now arrive Aug. 5, two weeks later than its original July 22 date.
The band says “WeenAmp” will allow users to view cybercasts of concerts from Ween’s upcoming tour, including one “all-request” show where fans can vote for songs in advance. The trek begins July 24 in Pittsburgh and will likely encompass four separate legs of three-to-four weeks in North America, followed by international shows. Dates are expected to be announced shortly.
Source Billboard.com .

Pink Floyd singer-guitarist David Gilmour and Sting were honored by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in her annual birthday honors list. Gilmour and Sting were both given CBE, Commander Of The British Empire, awards, an honorary title that ranks just below knight.
Also named on the list were Procol Harum leader Gary Brooker and Gerry & The Pacemakers leader Gerry Marsden, both of whom received MBE, Member Of The Order Of The British Empire, honors.
The annual Queen’s Birthday honors list recognizes people for their charitable works, as well as for their impact in their respective fields.
Source yahoo.com.

Zwan has canceled its entire world tour, due to what the band termed “family reasons” on its official website, zwan.com. The canceled tour was to start in Imola, Italy on June 15, and end at the famed Fuji Festival in Japan on January 25. Glastonbury, T In The Park, and the Witnness Festival were among the European festivals Zwan will miss.
The band is touring in support of its debut album, Mary Star Of The Sea, and it features former Smashing Pumpkins members Billy Corgan on guitar and vocals and Jimmy Chamberlin on drums. Also in the band are ex-Tortoise guitarist David Pajo, ex-Chavez guitarist Mark Sweeney, and former A Perfect Circle bassist Paz Lenchantin.
Source yahoo.com.

Radiohead will release a new DVD titled 7 Television Commercials in Canada on August 5. The DVD is a compilation of videos filmed through 1997’s OK Computer, said bassist Colin Greenwood. It features “Paranoid Android,” “Fake Plastic Trees,” and “Karma Police,” among other clips.
The DVD will only be released in Canada
Source yahoo.com.

David Bowie will tour in Europe this fall, and has confirmed dates there through the end of November. The tour will likely head to the States for December and January before moving on to Japan and Australia.
A new album is expected this fall but still without a title or definite release date.
Source RollingStone.com.