Bitching is my business…
Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine found another target for his ire last week when Men’s Wearhouse didn’t ship a gift certificate he’d bought for his tour manager. Mustaine says the store had guaranteed him 2-day shipping, but had kept the order on hold without notifying him, which prompted him to blast them on his band’s Facebook wall. “I really think that it sucks when people make false claims, that they don’t care to make good on a problem that is clearly their fault, and with all of the ‘ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE IT’ crap I just had to say something.” Wrote the metal head, adding “I for one, will never set foot in a Men’s Warehouse, even for shelter from a blizzard.” It’s a step down in crazy from his rant last August about Obama staging the Aurora shooting as well as the Colorado shooting at the Dark Knight premiere, but it’s just strange enough to get our attention.
Writing a better birthday
In case you didn’t know, the song “Happy Birthday” is actually copyrighted by Time Warner Music Group, and they’ve made a good chunk of money off the song: they rake in an estimated $2 million a year in royalties and the like (technically, their copyright should have been voided long ago given that nobody even knows who wrote the lyrics anymore, but that’s big business for you). Well, the folks at the Free Music Archive are hoping to chip away at that figure by challenging songwriters to write a better birthday song that they could license under a creative commons license. “The Birthday Song Contest seeks a few new Happy Birthday songs that are simple and catchy, with great earworm potential that can be sung in restaurants, bowling alleys, and even in TV shows and movies,” reads the contest announcement on the FMA’s website. If you’re interested in trying your hand at song smithing, the deadline for submissions is Jan. 13, so get writing!
For he’s a jolly bad felon
Thirty-five-year-old Lostprophets lead singer Ian Watkins appeared at Cardiff Crown Court via webcam on Dec. 31 on alleged child sex offense charges, including conspiracy to rape a one-year-old girl. In addition, he faces five other charges, including conspiring to engage in sexual activity with two young children as well as making, downloading and distributing child pornography. He is also accused of accessing and possessing “extreme pornography,” in this case relating to beastiality. The rest of the band released a statement earlier last month after learning of the charges: “[W]e find ourselves in a state of shock. We are learning about the details of the investigation along with you. It is a difficult time for us and our families, and we want to thank our fans for their support as we seek answers.” Watkins was remanded and has a case management hearing scheduled for March 11.
