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Madame Tussauds asks 'little monsters' to suggest their favorite outfits for upcoming replicas.
By Gil Kaufman
Lady Gaga
Photo: David Livingston/ Getty Images
Lady Gaga's whole existence sometimes feels like a living, breathing, bleeding, gender-bending work of art. Now, Madame Tussauds is planning to spend major bucks to turn the international pop sensation into a life-size waxwork.
According to a spokesperson for the New York branch of Madame Tussauds, the popular tourist attraction in Times Square is working on a Gaga figure that should be ready by year's end. And here's the best part:
"We're open to hearing from fans about which looks they want," said the spokesperson, encouraging Gaga's "little monsters" to visit NYCWax.com to weigh in on which of Gaga's many signature styles they would like to see immortalized in wax. While the spokesperson could not comment on a report in a British tabloid that Tussauds is spending more than $1.5 million on the Gaga figures, they did clarify that "many" but not all nine global outlets will get their own Gaga. It is also not yet known if all the Gagas will sport the same look or have different outfits.
The museum is legendary for making wax replicas of the rich and famous, from President Obama and Justin Timberlake to Marilyn Monroe, Brad Pitt, Derek Jeter, former "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell, Madonna and Beyoncé.
The singer, who is up for a record 13 Moonmen at the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards, gave Tussauds yet another possibility this week when she set aside female things and posed as her male alter ego, Jo Calderone, for the cover of Vogue Hommes Japan. The magazine, which hits newsstands September 5, features a cover shot of Gaga as Calderone with an Elvis pompadour, white shirt and black trousers.
Which of Gaga's looks do you think Tussauds should immortalize in wax? Leave your comments below!
Related PhotosRelated ArtistsCarol Grow Carrie Underwood Cat Power Catherine Bell MTV's Fall Preview week of exclusives continues today with a look at the hottest upcoming movies of the next four months. We know what you should see and why you should see it, and we've got it all right here. Keep it locked to MTV News and MTV Movies Blog for continued updates throughout the [...] America Ferrera Amerie Amy Cobb Amy Smart News broke last month that Todd Phillips was developing a John Belushi biopic ? the latest in a long string of efforts to thrust the "Saturday Night Live" funnyman's life in front of the camera ? and the "Hangover" director was anything but pleased. "That's something that gets released by some agent of somebody and then [...] Erica Leerhsen Erika Christensen Estella Warren Esther Cañadas Yesterday we learned that Victoria Beckham has finally joined Twitter in order to share her personal “love and light”ness with the masses and today not only do we check out her latest tweet message but we also get to see the accompanying photos. VB stepped out in London, England last night with her BFF Eva [...] Kelly Ripa Kelly Rowland Kerry Suseck Kim Kardashian 'It shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums,' guitarist says.
By Chris Harris
Dimmu Borgir's Silenoz
Photo: Nuclear Blast
On October 14, Dimmu Borgir — who just happen to be Demi Lovato's favorite black-metal band — will release a a three-disc DVD/CD set called "The Invaluable Darkness," the band's first visual offering since 2002's "World Misanthropy." Boasting live footage shot last year, during gigs in Norway, Germany and England, "The Invaluable Darkness" demonstrates the unbridled furor of seeing Dimmu live, guitarist Silenoz said.
"It shows the honest rawness and atmospheric darkness of our concerts," the Norwegian told Metal File last week, after dismissing recent online rumors that his band's next LP would be coming out through Roadrunner Records. "Basically, it shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums. It's just a different side to the band, basically."
Dimmu Borgir began thinking about "The Invaluable Darkness" two years ago, but didn't start capturing footage until last summer, Silenoz explained, adding that the band will use its current stint on the Blackest of the Black Tour — which got underway Thursday night in Miami Beach, Florida, and also features the tour's founder, Danzig, along with
Moonspell, Winds of Plague and Skeletonwitch — to promote the DVD. Dimmu Borgir will not, however, use the tour to write material for their next LP.
"It's our first time on Blackest, but Glenn [Danzig] had wanted to bring us out before [on the tour], but we weren't available until now," Silenoz said. "We've done Ozzfest before, but we're looking forward to this tour more. We did the main stage on Ozzfest, playing in f--_ing broad daylight. This tour will let us play in bigger places, but at the same time showcase more of what the band's about, visually. We are going to concentrate on the tour for now. Some years ago, we tried putting [material] together on the road, but once we got home, we listened back to it, and were like, 'What the f--- is this?' So, we just scrapped it all. We find it's so much better to totally focus on one thing at a time, and then, when that's over, you move on to the next [thing]. We don't really feel like we need to rush things, anyway, so we'll just take our time, and it's going to be what it's going to be."
Dimmu Borgir hope to reconvene in late December to begin writing the follow-up to 2007's diabolically titled In Sorte Diaboli. "We have some ideas floating around already, but we haven't arranged any material yet," he said. "We'll start doing that once the touring for this DVD is over." The band's frontman, Shagrath, is also due to marry soon — he's engaged to actor Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, so that may have an effect on when Dimmu finish their next album, which Silenoz said could be out this coming spring.
"I'm sure [Shagrath] won't let anything get in the way [of] the band — I think, I hope," the guitarist said. "We don't need a Yoko [Ono] situation."
While Dimmu have been at it going on 15 years now, Silenoz said he doesn't think their forthcoming material will be much of a departure from their previous black-metal offerings.
"And we have always been about more than just that term, 'black metal,' " he said. "Luckily for us, the older you get, the less concerned you get with the categorization and putting labels on your music. Things start getting more and more limitless with us, and we know that we operate within certain frames. But we try not to analyze things too much, because it's just going to be working against you in the end. When we write new stuff, we don't think about what we should write — we just get together, and put material together, and if we like it, we keep it. That's the formula, if we even have a formula."
Dimmu Borgir are definitely getting older — guitarist Galder will be missing Blackest because of a recent addition to his family, and Susperia's Cyrus will be filling in for him; while former Vader drummer Dariusz Brzozowski takes over for Hellhammer, who had to leave the band in 2007 after sustaining a neck injury that's now limited the use of his right arm. As Dimmu has gotten on in years, Silenoz admits they have failed to keep pace with some of the more extreme black-metal acts that have followed in their wake.
"We helped open doors for the more extreme bands out there," Silenoz said. "I'm sure we helped open doors for bands like Watain, [insomuch as] people that had maybe started listening to us first then went on to the more extreme stuff. Let's face it — we're not as extreme as Watain and other bands like that, but we're fine with that."
The Blackest of the Black Tour continues through November 10 in San Francisco.
The rest of the week's metal news:
Dimmu's tourmates on Blackest, Winds of Plague, have announced ex-Azusa drummer Art Cruz has joined their ranks — he replaced Jeff Tenney. According to the band's blog, "Art has already added a new spark to the band and has provided us with a solid backbone that will allow us to continue our rampage stronger than ever." ...
What the world really needs is another
Led Zeppelin box set, so, on November 4, Rhino Records will issue the Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD box set. For just $200, you'll get 1969's Led Zeppelin, 1969's Led Zeppelin II, 1970's Led Zeppelin III, 1971's Led Zeppelin IV, 1973's Houses of the Holy, 1975's Physical Graffiti, 1976's Presence, 1976's The Song Remains the Same, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda, as mini-LP replicas, with artwork from the original U.K. LP sleeves. Now, you know what you can get your dad for Christmas. ...
Former Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach and current Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz have teamed up for a new project they're calling Times of Grace, and they've already started working on material for their debut album. According to Leach, "We have two songs to go and we will be finished with all of the vocals. Adam has taken lead vocals in three songs as of yet and he is doing a great job. We also worked on a track yesterday that is so epic — we trade vocals and do two different melodies at the same time. This album went from a melodic metal album to an epic mix of metal/rock/pop/shoegaze and punk. So all of your metal expectations will be incorrect — we are pushing genre boundaries." To quote "Meet the Parents," we'll look forward to that, Greg. ...
The Funeral Pyre and Early Graves will be hitting the road together next month, starting November 7 in South Lake Tahoe, California. Dates are booked through November 21 in Hollywood. ...
The latest incarnation of Brujeria, which features Carcass frontman Jeff Walker and Napalm Death's Shane Embury, have lined up several U.S. dates for this winter. The band will begin its brief trek November 28 in Denver, and wrap things up in Dallas on December 7. ...
Demiricous will be touring with the Gates of Slumber starting November 9 in Denver, for a jaunt that's scheduled to run through December 6 in Indianapolis. ...
Nearly three years after Roadrunner Records' Roadrunner United concert, which took over the Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square, the label is now releasing footage from that special night as "Roadrunner United: The Concert." The DVD, which hits stores December 9, will boast two discs and 24 live tracks, including Life of Agony's "River Runs Red," King Diamond's "Abigail," Killswitch's "My Last Serenade," Type O Negative's "Black No. 1" and Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist." ...
According to Blabbermouth, Verrot, bassist for Swedish black-metal outfit Elimi, committed suicide on October 3. In a statement, the band said, "Verrot was a very good friend, brother, an excellent bass player/musician and an important part of Elimi; we respect his decision and hope he'll find his way with the dark gods of Chaos. Let your black flame be a part of what brings forth the day of wrath."
Related ArtistsAdrianne Palicki Aisha Tyler Aki Ross Alecia Elliott Yikes! Drew Barrymore's new movie Going the Distance completely tanked this weekend, opening up in fifth place with $2.2 million. Guess people had no interest in seeing if Drew has any chemistry with her on-and-off boyfriend Justin Long. Machete took the top spot with $3.9 million and George Clooney's The American came in second with $3.8 million. So [...] Piper Perabo Poppy Montgomery Portia de Rossi Rachael Leigh Cook The singer shouts out her fans for making her the most-followed tweeter.
By Mawuse Ziegbe
Lady Gaga
Photo: Derek Storm/ Splash News
Lady Gaga's millions of fans have another title to call their Mother Monster: Queen of Twitter.
After steadily gaining on Britney Spears, who until recently was the most-followed user on the social-networking site, Gaga surpassed her fellow pop supernova over the weekend by landing over 5.7 million followers. At press time, Gaga's Twitter army clocked in at 5,726,168 deep, besting Brit, who had 5,696,275 followers. Just days ago, the chart-toppers were neck-and-neck, with Spears boasting 5,646,028 Twitter peeps to Gaga's 5,635,460.
When Gaga learned she had dethroned Spears, she took to the Internet to thank the people who made it all possible: her fans. In a video posted online, Gaga doles out heaps of "monster" love to her followers for solidifying her digital dominance.
Sporting a lace headpiece adorned with a sequined Twitter logo and an ornamental Gaga-fied version of the site's familiar bird symbol, the singer addressed her nearly 6 million followers.
"Hello world, this is Lady Gaga, queen of Twitter," said the singer, with a flourish of an illuminated scepter and a sprinkle of glitter; a move that was part-Elizabethan royalty and part-Glinda the Good Witch. "I wanted to thank all my beautiful little monsters for following me. Thank you for beginning my reign as Twitter queen."
The singer then wished her Twitter-dom only the most enjoyable of experiences when logging onto the micro-blogging site.
"May you always have soft cuticles while tweeting," Gaga said wistfully. "May you never have carpal tunnel."
The "Alejandro" singer, who filmed the clip backstage at her Monster Ball Tour stop in Tacoma, Washington, promised to keep the Twitter nonsense to a minimum. "I vow never to partake in celebrity online shenanigans," Gaga said. "And I vow to always tweet and tweet again."
Before signing off, Gaga left her legions of viral fans with a few words of encouragement.
"Just remember that I love you," Gaga said. "And love you yourself. Because little monsters, you were born that way, baby. I love you Twitter. See you at the Monster Ball."
Related PhotosRelated ArtistsMinki van der Westhuizen Miranda Kerr Mischa Barton Missi Pyle 'We came all the way from the Dominican Republic because we love Justin Bieber,' one fan says.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Evan Leong
Justin Bieber performs at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday
Photo: Larry Busacca/ Getty Images
If fans were looking for a spectacle when they bought tickets to Justin Bieber's Madison Square Garden My World Tour stop, they got it. Bieber was joined by a slew of his celebrity friends including Miley Cyrus, Ludacris, Usher, Jaden Smith and Boyz II Men for the concert, footage from which will be used in his 3-D concert movie, due out next year. After the show, his fans couldn't help but rave about the show and how much they adore Bieber.
"It was amazing! The best concert ever! We love Justin Bieber and we want him to marry us," Bieber fan Kelly told MTV News in the moments after the show wrapped. Another fan added, "OK, so the concert was amazing. We came all the way from the Dominican Republic because we love Justin Bieber. It was all full of surprises and amazing."
Samantha agreed with her fellow Beliebers, saying, "Honestly, it was the best thing I've ever been to in my life." Another fan added, "He danced, he sang, he played piano, drums, guitar, and he was just so cute!"
Olivia Bernstein and her pal Sarah raved about the show's amazing powers, noting that they got into a bit of a scuffle in order to see Biebs in concert. "Fighting with two moms tonight was for him and it was great," she said. "It was so much fun. It was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. All of the surprise guests were amazing."
Speaking of those special guests, they really amped up the show's already over-the-top energy. "Miley Cyrus came. Usher was there. Jaden Smith, Ludacris ... There were so many people ... it was the best show ever," Olivia explained. Kibriyaa added, "Justin Bieber's my favorite, but when Jaden came out, I just ... I jumped!"
Inside the Garden, the screams were overpowering, and afterwards, Bieber fan Sarah admitted she was still feeling the side effects of Bieber fever. "We thought it was over and then he was like, 'Do you want more?' I can't hear anything because our ears are, like, clogged."
Have you seen Justin Bieber in concert? Talk about it in the comments!
Related PhotosRelated ArtistsTami Donaldson Tamie Sheffield Tara Conner Tara Reed Yikes! Drew Barrymore's new movie Going the Distance completely tanked this weekend, opening up in fifth place with $2.2 million. Guess people had no interest in seeing if Drew has any chemistry with her on-and-off boyfriend Justin Long. Machete took the top spot with $3.9 million and George Clooney's The American came in second with $3.8 million. So [...] Michelle Obama Michelle Rodriguez Michelle Trachtenberg Mila Kunis 'Tik Tok' singer/nominee racked up massive digital downloads, opened for Rihanna and survived 'SNL' on road to Video Music Awards.
By James Montgomery
Ke$ha
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ Getty Images
Ke$ha is, without question, one of the biggest breakout stars of 2010. A slurring, whirling, hard-partying pop oddity (who may also be a genius) with a #1 album and a boatload of hit singles to her name, not to mention more than a few enemies. She even has under her star-spangled belt, her very own, very public WTF debacle in the form of a rather, uh, divisive "Saturday Night Live" performance.
Ever since Ke$ha came stumbling into our lives last year with "Tik Tok" (we named it one of the Best Songs of 2009, by the way), she's been nothing if not consistently entertaining, if slightly confounding. She's always coming back with another massive single or eye-popping video, always saying — or wearing — something outrageous. In the process, she's made a rather indelible impact on popular culture and, earlier this month, MTV showed its recognition of that fact, rewarding her with multiple Video Music Award nominations, including nods for Best Female Video and Best New Artist.
But how did she go from unknown pop curio to one of the fastest-rising starlets on the planet? Here's a look back:
In January 2010, "Tik Tok" rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, setting a record for digital downloads in the process. That same month, she was named one of three female Artists to Watch , as part of MTV News' Pop Week 2010. Buoyed by the success of "Tik Tok," Ke$ha's debut album, Animal, opened at #1 on the Billboard albums chart, selling more than 152,000 copies and ending "Britain's Got Talent" phenom Susan Boyle's six-week run at #1. Ke$h would pay homage to Boyle soon after, declaring to MTV News that the cat-loving singer "knows how to party."
She followed up "Tik Tok" with "Blah Blah Blah," another party-ready anthem featuring her pals in 3OH!3. The song cracked the Top 10 and has sold more than 2 million digital downloads to date.
Ke$ha then took to Twitter, where she flirted with John Mayer and then drew the ire of both Britney Spears and Justin Bieber fans, after she (sorta) swiped at Britney in a demo of an old tune ("Styrofoam") and called Biebus "a tiny little baby." In both instances, she apologized ... though, not before Perez Hilton weighed in, calling her a "trash-talking train wreck."
In April, she was announced as the opening act on Rihanna's Last Girl On Earth Tour, and then got to work on another video, this one for "Your Love Is My Drug." That month, clad in a bizarre bodysuit (and later, nothing but glow-in-the-dark bodypaint), she performed a pair of songs on "SNL," a debacle which was described by some as "the worst ['SNL' performance] ever." Never one to back away from a good brawl, Ke$ha responded thusly: "F--- the cynics."
In May came the premiere of the "Drug" video — a bonanza of beards, boulders, Beatles and bodypaint — and the pop singer quickly followed that up with a cameo on 3OH!3's "My First Kiss" and yet another Animal video, this one for "Take It Off."
Later that summer, she hit the road with Rihanna, and described the dynamic duo's backstage relationship thusly: "We braid each other's hair ... naked." She then began discussing plans for a follow-up to Animal, saying she could foresee getting into country music but would definitely stay away from jazz. She also began laying the groundwork for her very own headlining tour. Oh, and of course, she revealed she's planning a fashion line, too, featuring capes and haberdashery made out of "roadkill ... and recycled feathers."
Seems strangely fitting, if you ask us.
The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET. Go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for the Best New Artist video through September 12.
Related VideosRelated PhotosRelated ArtistsJulie Berry K. D. Aubert Karen Carreno KarolÃna Kurková TGIF! Humor has it that naturally, we all are guilty of saying something completely stupid, however, redeem yourself and check out this week?s ?Dumb Celeb Quote of the Week? right here! And just what exactly did the Hilton heiress have to say this week about her latest drug bust? “She had not seen it but now thought [...] Norah Jones Noureen DeWulf Olivia Munn Olivia Wilde Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death.
By Gil Kaufman
Dr. Conrad Murray
Photo: Toby Canham/ Getty Images
More than a year after Michael Jackson's death, the pop icon's former personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was in court Monday (August 23) where a judge finally set a preliminary date of January 4, 2011, in the cardiologist's involuntary-manslaughter trial.
TMZ reported that Murray's legal team won a request to get a fluid sample from Jackson as part of their defense strategy questioning the accuracy of levels of the surgical anesthetic propofol found in Jackson's body. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson, 50, died as a result of acute propofol intoxication.
Murray has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of involuntary manslaughter and has admitted to giving Jackson propofol, a strong anesthetic usually used during surgery but allegedly employed by chronic insomniac Jackson as a sleep aid. Murray's lawyers have said the physician did not administer any drugs that "should have" caused Jackson's death. The investigation into his death was equally lengthy, lasting more than eight months, after which Los Angeles prosecutors charged that Murray gave the King of Pop a lethal combination of propofol and other painkillers and sedatives in the hours before the singer was found dead in his rented Los Angeles mansion on June 25, 2009. Murray faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
After hearing from both sides in the case at the January court date, the judge, Michael Pastor, will determine if there is enough evidence to mount a full trial.
Jackson's mother and father, Katherine and Joseph, were in court on Monday, according to Radar Online, sitting in the front row as Judge Pastor set the preliminary hearing date. Pastor granted a protective order covering all evidence in the criminal case, meaning it cannot be released to anyone other than the lawyers, paralegals and investigators in the case.
Murray's defense team reportedly asked for access to three fluids collected by the coroner's office, including ones taken from syringes and an IV tube to re-examine test results. Pastor ruled that the coroner's office must preserve the samples, and if defense attorneys and prosecutors cannot agree on the request, he will schedule a hearing on the matter.
After court let out, a group of Jackson supporters gathered and sang an impromptu verse that featured the lines, "Conrad Murray is a cold man," while holding up signs that read "Justice for Michael Jackson" and "Love Unites Us, Peace Drives Us, Judgment Day 4 All."
Related PhotosRelated ArtistsJaime Pressly Jamie Chung Jamie Gunns Jamie Lynn Sigler Ke$ha and Ashley Greene join the star-studded presenters list for the live show on September 12.
By Jocelyn Vena
Justin Bieber
Photo: Mark Von Holden/ Getty Images
One is a teen pop phenomenon known for inducing Beatles-level hysteria in his fans, the other, a free-spirit Atlanta MC whose debut album suddenly shot to pop success. Now, Justin Bieber and B.o.B are set to hit the stage as performers at this year's 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Bieber and B.o.B join already announced performers Kanye West, Drake and Florence and the Machine.
Four-time nominee Ke$ha and "Twilight" star Ashley Greene will also be among the night's presenters when the show goes live on September 12 from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The night will mark the first VMA performances for both Bieber (who presented at last year's ceremony) and B.o.B.
"I'm excited to be performing at the VMAs. It is all still unbelievable, because last year I went for the first time and no one knew who I was," said Bieber, who's nominated for Best New Artist. "Just really shows that dreams can come true and what incredible, dedicated fans I have. I'm a lucky guy and grateful. Now I just want to get on that stage, have some fun in front of my heroes, because at the end of the day I'm still a kid and still a fan."
B.o.B is up for five Moonmen, including Video of the Year and Best Male Video.
"It's very special to me. I think it's a lot more special than the success of the singles, because this reflects the work I've put in over the years and the word of mouth I've helped create," B.o.B recently told MTV News about his nominations. "It's definitely amazing. I'm trying to find the words to explain it, but I can't. It's inexplicable. I'm a real simple man, so, you know, I accept every gift with generosity and gratitude."
Other previously announced presenters include Nicki Minaj, Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Trey Songz, Selena Gomez and Ne-Yo. Additional performers and presenters, as well as the VMA host, will be announced in the weeks to come.
Bieber recently shot a new VMA promo in which he made like the Beatles, with a group of rabid female fans chasing after him — something he had no issues with. "I'm kind of like the Beatles running, and there's girls chasing after me," he said about the retro-flavored promo. "I like girls chasing me, so it's good."
What do you want to hear Justin and B.o.B perform? Share your wish list with us in the comments!
The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for the winners in general categories, including Best New Artist, from now through September 12.
Related VideosRelated PhotosRelated ArtistsAlecia Elliott Alessandra Ambrosio Alexis Bledel Ali Campoverdi |
