Welcome back to Making Noise, your weekly look at hot topics, buzzy tidbits and music news that’s raising the volume and going viral on social media and in music lover circles.
In Knots
After cutting ties with longtime DJ Sid Wilson (Kelly Osbourne's ex) last month, Slipknot are now embarking on a massive stadium tour, and they just used drones to make the announcement in the UK. The ‘(Sic)est Stadium Tour’ will kick off at London's Wembley Stadium next summer, with support from Marilyn Manson, Hatebreed and Lorna Shore, then head to the U.S. and Canada with openers Bring Me The Horizon and Acid Bath on select dates. The Wembley show is already generating online backlash for Manson's inclusion due to his ongoing legal battles for sexual assault . Though the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is not pursuing criminal charges against Manson (Brian Warner) due to insufficient evidence and charges falling outside the statute of limitations, a civil suit is moving forward via his former assistant. Game of Thrones actor Esmé Bianco's suit against MM was settled, while his fight with Evan Rachel Wood (he sued her for defamation) was thrown out. He was also forced to pay her attorney fees.
Slipknot's guitarist Jim Root recently spoke on the Manson matter, replying to a comment earlier this week from a fan online with a weak explanation that might have been better kept to himself: "I concentrate on writing and being a guitarist,” he says. “So forgive my ignorance about who we do shows with. There are other people with much bigger brains than I that coordinate all that and I honestly don’t keep up with new bands or new music.”
Lead singer Corey Taylor has yet to speak on the booking, but he just dealt with backlash himself after he collaborated with polarizing rocker Falling in Reverse's Ronnie Radke, who coincidentally is a Manson supporter. (System of A Down's Serj Tankian, also on the tune, has also received some online pushback). To tie all the knots together, Radke is joined by none other than Sharon Osbourne on Team Manson, after she publicly defended the singer on her family's podcast last month, describing how she saw one accuser give him a blowjob under a table at Soho House. Given the current headlines, the conversation surrounding what constitutes sexual assault and accuser credibility is important, so we'll follow keep following closely.
American AI
The arguments for and against AI in music are heating up again after Kelly Clarkson enthused about the technology during a recent episode of "Las Culturistas," the quippy pod hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. "Controversial, I don't care: I love AI," Clarkson said on the show, adding, "there are very amazing things with AI that I am obsessed with" and that "ChatGPT is my lover."
Admitting that's she's used AI "artistically" herself, she added that she draws the line when compared with human capabilities. And credit where credit is due: she happens to be blessed with better capabilities than most. Clarkson's covers are almost always as good or better than the originals she tackles on her talkshow. Whatever perspective one may have on artificial intelligence, most music lovers probably will agree with her statements that "it's not going anywhere," and that a clear distinction should be made between AI-assisted and human-created music, especially when it comes to chart rankings and streamed activity.
Another One Bites...
Black Metal fans are mourning the death of Venom's Conrad Lant, announced yesterday Oct. 1 by the band. He was 63. Melding the urgency of groups like Motorhead with menacing theatrical elements, the band was responsible for influencing British rock and coining a caustic new genre. Their album Black Metal added to the musical lexicon at the releases height and it stuck. No cause of death was given.
Madonna TV
Congrats to Madonna, who picked up 7 VMAs last week for her excellent new album, Confessions II. Despite the ageist online commentary about her looks and stature, Queen M has had the last laugh, turning in an incredible performance with Charli xcx and Sabrina Carpenter (they didn't kiss though... whomp whomp) and graciously accepting the multitude of moonmen. The show was one of the best we've seen in years, but the lack of rock music was still a huge bummer. If not for the material mama —and former Germs legend Pat Smear sparking up a stogie on stage during the Nirvana speech— the rebel spirit of music would have been completely absent. We'd say "do better MTV" but after the producer's Rolling Stone interview this week, it might be a moot point. And by the way, if you miss MTV or you're too young to have watched it in its heyday and curious about it, click HERE now!
