Wednesday, March 05, 2008

The Money Shot: Why Beatle Bob Pisses People Off, Joaquin Phoenix Digs The Charlatans' Free Album, and Are iPods Causing iCrime?

Today's headlines...

Johnny Cash actor makes the most of Charlatans download (NME)
The band are currently let fans have the record via XFM’s website, and among those taking advantage of the giveaway has been actor Joaquin Phoenix.

The star of ’Gladiator’ who played Johnny Cash in the 2005 biopic ’Walk The Line’, downloaded the album yesterday (March 3) and has spoken of his love for ’You Cross My Path’.

"Holy fucking shit, The Charlatans record is mega,” he declared. “A real beauty. I can't wait to see it live."



Did iPods cause a crime wave?
(AP)
MS: One widely accepted theory holds that crime happens when three things come together: A motivated offender encounters a suitable victim and perceives a high chance of getting away with it. And the Urban Institute researchers believe the sudden prevalence of iPods increased all three factors.

Motivation: The iPod's several-hundred-dollar expense and pop-culture buzz made potential thieves, especially young ones, crave the device for themselves or for a lucrative resale market. Suitable victims: People listening through the iconic white earphones are easy to pick out and often unaware of their surroundings. Easy to get away with: IPods lack a mechanism that would pinpoint a thief's location or a subscription that could be canceled by the rightful owner.



Tastemaker or attention seeker? For Beatle Bob, the concert never stops
(Canadian Press)
MS: His dedication, musical knowledge and geeky cool-by-association cred has led to cameos in music videos and hosting gigs at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, South by Southwest, Glastonbury, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and more. He dances like a man possessed. Hands flaying, feet shuffling, happily out of rhythm and blissfully oblivious to other audience members - including those whose views he blocks. He almost always dances alone, usually right in front of the stage. And while the full-time fan has his admirers, plenty of other music lovers are fed up with what they consider churlish behaviour.

"If you go to one or two concerts a year, he's fun to watch, like a sideshow," said Wade Alberty of St. Louis. "But if you go to a lot of shows, he can often be in the way more than entertaining."

Alberty grew tired of it. So he started an online petition and website imploring "Beatle Bob (to) sit down!" Nearly 300 like-minded fans signed on, offering unflattering stories about their own encounters. "It's as if he tries to make a spectacle of himself instead of just enjoying the show," said Alberty, a writer and computer programmer. "I go to concerts to see the band. I don't go to see him."


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