“The Times They Are A-Changin'” will be a-changing hands
The original handwritten lyrics for Bob Dylan’s iconic “60s folk song “The Times They Are A-Changin'” will be heading to the auction block soon. Art auction company Sotheby’s will be placing the first written copy of the renowned lyrics under the hammer this Friday in New York City. The lyrics are projected to bring in anywhere from $200,000 to $300,000. The paper itself is a creased sheet of unruled, three-hole notebook paper marked with some small rips and tears as well as the famous lines written in pencil.
Original Jesus of suburbia hopes to resurrect American Idiot
The Green Day-inspired punk rock musical American Idiot has added the band’s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong to its cast in an attempt to boost flagging ticket sales. Armstrong, who replaced Tony Vincent in the role of “St. Jimmy” for a week in September, reportedly drew scores of dedicated fans during his Broadway debut, resulting in box-office sales of over $1 million that week. Last week’s take amounted to a mere $600,000. The low number is a problem that the producers hope the punk rocker will be able to remedy. Armstrong is set to take to the stage again in a string of 50 shows starting on Jan. 1.
As if waiting 15 years for Chinese Democracy wasn’t enough
Infamously raucous rockers Guns N’ Roses have angered another town by making their fans wait for more than an hour before starting their set and blaring loud music well past the noise curfew. Last Wednesday’s show in Townsville, Australia drew complaints from locals who were incensed by the loudness of the concert and its late finish. Townsville mayor Les Tyrell responded to the complaints by stating that “Guns N’ Roses came on late and the concert ran late which is a concern to us and something we will talk to promoters about, as it is not fair for residents on a midweek event.” This is far from the first time the “November Rain” hit-makers have shown up late for a show: both their shows at the Reading and Leeds music festivals last August began more than a half-hour late, and a similar delay at a subsequent show in Dublin caused riled fans to pelt the band with bottles once they hit the stage.
When Muse buys the farm, Bellamy will retire to his own
Muse frontman Matt Bellamy has his retirement plans well in order. The 32-year-old
singer has announced his intention to grow hemp on his farm in Devon once he retires from music. Bellamy said that he currently does not live on his southwestern England acreage, as “it’s just land with a couple of jaded barns that need to be renovated. It’s a nice place to camp but my long-term plan is to grow industrial hemp for making paper and material.” He will also be spending his time shearing his flock of 50 sheep, which he uses primarily to keep the grass on his estate trimmed. Muse, who has been nominated for three Grammys this year, including best rock album and best rock song, are currently on the final lap of their Australian tour.
