Music, Obsession with Names and Profound Retardation--A Possible Link?

[Ramona_A_Stone]

Muse Vs Celine Dion
October 15, 2002

...or, Music Fans Can Only Watch In Amusement As Two Artists Rape The Same Concept, And Then Bicker About It

Muse and Celine Dion are not often mentioned in the same breath, but all that has changed as the British trio are planning to sue the Canadian singer for pinching their moniker.

Celine is calling her forthcoming Las Vegas stage show, and accompanying releases and merchandise, Muse. The band, who couldn't be described as huge Celine Dion fans, made it clear to 'Big Lungs' they were not prepared to share their name, to which she responded with an offer of £32,000 to change their minds.

Muse told Celine to stick the cash where her ballads don't shine, to which Dion's people responded with a letter stating they were going to going to use the name for her twice-daily show at Ceaser's Palace casino complex anyway.

"This is a classic example of a huge music empire trying to crush the smaller bands," said Muse frontman Matt Bellamy of the debacle. "We fully intend to crack America with our next album and we don't want to turn up there with people thinking we're bloody Celine Dion's backing band."

"I find her music completely offensive for a start and I'm sure our fans do as well," Bellamy continued. "It's not just the fact they want to call the show Muse, they also want to call any sound and video recordings Muse as well, which means you'll have Muse DVDs and albums coming out in the States."

"They've now told us they are pressing ahead with the Muse name whether we like it or not. They think if we try and sue them they will crush us with their might."

Muse, whose third studio album, the follow-up to Origin Of Symmetry, is due in spring of next year, own the performing rights to the name in the U.S. (which means no other musical artist, group, product, or show in the country can legally call themselves Muse). They plan to hit Dion with a lawsuit.
--(MTV.co.uk)




Testy, aren't we?
October 17, 2002

...or, How To See A Sucky Concert For Free

Singer-songwriter Ryan Adams is not amused by the similarity of his name to 1980s rocker Bryan Adams.

At a Ryan Adams concert at the Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday, someone in the audience yelled out a request for "Summer of '69," a Bryan Adams hit.

Ryan Adams, former leader of the band Whiskeytown, reacted with a stream of expletives and ordered the house lights turned on, The Tennessean newspaper reported.

The alternative country musician found the fan who made the joke request, paid him $30 cash as a refund for the show, ordered him to leave and said he wouldn't play another note until that happened.

Ryman general manager Pam Matthews stopped the fan on his way out, "apologized profusely" and allowed him back into the concert. The fan kept Adams' $30.
--Nashville, Tenn. (AP)