ARCH MUSIC NEWS for 3/4/13

ARCH MUSIC NEWS is compiled by Jay Philpott -

Simon Cowell is taking his search for talent to the Internet. According to
“The Hollywood Reporter,” the “American Idol” and “X Factor” creator’s Syco Entertainment empire has announced plans to launch a new project called “The You Generation.” “The You Generation” is a global online talent contest that will go beyond singing, seeking entries from people with “unconventional and original talents.” The contest will start this month, and is expected to run for a year. Syco will seek auditions in different categories every two weeks. Those interested can upload their videos to Syco’s YouTube channel, where they’ll be viewed and judges by the public and professionals. A prize will be given out every two weeks, and a grand prize will come at the end of the year. Some of the categories listed so far include musicians, photographers, makeup artists, chefs and even magicians. The “You Generation” will be available in 15 languages and in 26 countries around the world.

Adele has reportedly signed on to record the theme for the next James Bond movie. According to “The Sun,” the franchise is “thrilled” with how well “Skyfall” has been received and is hoping to replicate that success with the next film in the series. A source tells the paper that producers would like Adele to become as synonymous with Bond as Dame Shirley Bassey, who sang some memorable Bond themes like “Goldfinger” and “Diamonds Are Forever.” Apart from picking up the Oscar for Best Original Song, Adele’s “Skyfall” has earned her a Golden Globe and Brit Award.

Donald Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” won’t have a repeat winner after all. During Sunday’s premiere of the NBC show’s all-star sixth season, Trump repeatedly questioned why Bret Michaels, the only returning champ, decided to come back. And when the rocker found himself in the boardroom at the end of the day, Trump let him know exactly how he felt, and fired him.

Tommy Lee is being sued. The Motley Crue drummer is being accused of assault stemming from an incident on a Florida beach last summer. Lawyer Robert Dixon, who’s representing Freddy Hernandez, has issued a statement saying his client was met with violence when he encountered Lee on the beach last July and began taking photographs of the rocker. He claims Lee “touched and/or struck Freddy Hernandez without his permission, by hitting his camera, while Mr. Hernandez was holding said camera.” He says Mr. Hernandez suffered injuries as a result. The suit was recently filed in Palm Beach County circuit court. Dixon doesn’t specify what he and Hernandez are seeking in damages.

A reunion of the original Kansas is coming up this summer. The band has announced plans for a special show that will feature guest appearances from making plans for a special event to mark their four decades as a band. The group has scheduled a special show featuring guest appearances from former members Dave Hope, Kerry Livgren, and Robby Steinhardt, and will mark the first time the band’s original lineup has hit the stage together in over 30 years. Kansas is organizing the special concert in celebration of their 40th anniversary. The show will be staged in two parts. It will open with Kansas performing with a 35-piece orchestra. The band will then return to the stage following an intermission to play their typical set. Drummer Phil Ehart says Dave, Kerry and Robby will be “playing on different songs with the current band through the whole show.” He adds that the intermission won’t be a break in the action, but they have “some great stuff planned” for that portion of the show as well.

Prince is planning to hit the road this spring. The reclusive rocker gave a dynamic performance Friday night on NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” which Fallon introduced by saying Prince would be launching a West Coast trek in April. Prince then demonstrated what concertgoers might if he plays any shows. His two-song set paired his most recent release, “Screwdriver,” with 1979′s “Bambi.” He closed the performance with the vintage tune, which ended with him tossing his guitar into the air and letting it smash to the stage as he walked off.

Former Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan is part of a new group. He’s on board for Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready’s star-studded side project. McCready tells Billboard.com the still-untitled band also features ex-Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin. The guitarist says the trio met up and wrote some new material, and adds that they’ve also been working on some of the unreleased demos from McCready and Martin’s other band, Mad Season. Mike says they’re currently trying to find some singers to work on the new music as well. And while there’s no specific release plan for any of the material, McCready would like to put it out on his new label. He says it would be great to eventually release some of the new songs on vinyl 45s via his Hockeytalkter Records, which takes its name from his three-year-old son’s pronunciation of the word “helicopter.”