Marilyn Manson asks judge to toss Esmé Bianco’s lawsuit, calls it part of a “coordinated attack”

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Marilyn Manson has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him by Game of Thrones alum Esmé Bianco.  In February, the actress accused him of sexual assault and sexual battery — claims Manson’s legal team previously said are “provably false.”

TMZ obtained the latest round of court documents pertaining to the shock rocker’s case.  Manson, born Brian Warner, claims in the dismissal request that Bianco filed her lawsuit too late and, therefore, outside the statute of limitations.

Warner, who is also facing lawsuits from model Ashley Morgan Smithline and his former assistant, Ashley Walters, claims he is being victimized by a “coordinated attack.” The singer expressed in the documents that the women have launched a smear campaign against him and are “cynically and dishonestly seeking to monetize and exploit the #MeToo movement.”

According to the files, the 52-year-old insists Bianco took her accusations a step further, claiming she “spent months plotting, workshopping, and fine-tuning” her allegations into “twisted tales that bear no resemblance to reality.”

Earlier this year, Bianco told ABC News that Warner had physically, sexually and psychologically abused her during their three-year relationship. “I was coerced, I was defrauded, I was transported from the U.K. to the U.S., I was harbored, and then I was coerced into involuntarily servitude, which included sexual abuse and physical abuse,” she said.

Bianco’s allegations came after Warner’s ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood publicly stated he had “horrifically abused [her] for years.” 

A ruling has yet to be made on the rocker’s latest filing.  Bianco has not yet responded to Warner’s claims.

Warner denies all wrongdoing and claims his relationships with all four women were “consensual.”

For anyone affected by abuse and needing support, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at  1-800-799-7233, or if you’re unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 1-866-331-9474.

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Lil Nas X trolls fans with “uncensored” “Industry Baby” video

Filip Custic @filipcustic1

Lil Nas X set the internet abuzz again with the video for his new song “Industry Baby” — in particular for its NSFW prison shower dance sequence featuring pixelated nudity.

Now, Lil Nas is teasing an “uncensored” version of the video. For those curious enough to click, the video starts off as normal but once it gets to the shower scene the screen freezes as if it’s buffering — but the song continues.

Yep, he trolled us. Well played, Lil Nas.

The “uncensored” video has nearly four million views on YouTube, and fans were left laughing in the comments.

“If it’s one thing Lil Nas is gonna do, it’s TROLL lmaooo. we knew this was gonna be click bait and yet here we are,” one wrote.

Another added, “This is daylight robbery. He really got ad revenue and streams TWICE. Nas is a genius.”

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Elton John rallies against HIV and homophobic misinformation: “We need to break down the myths”

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for EJAF, Rich Fury/Getty Images

Elton John is the latest celebrity to condemn the homophobic remarks made by rapper DaBaby at Miami’s Rolling Loud Festival over the weekend. 

The “I’m Still Standing” singer explained that spreading homophobic misinformation is harmful to the LGBTQ community — especially those with HIV.

Taking to Instagram Wednesday, Sir Elton shared an post that read, “HIV misinformation and homophobia have no place in the music industry.  We must break down the stigma around HIV and not spread it.  As musicians, it’s our job to bring people together.” 

“We’ve been shocked to read about the HIV misinformation and homophobic statements made at a recent DaBaby show. This fuels stigma and discrimination and is the opposite of what our world needs to fight the AIDS epidemic,” the five-time Grammy winner continued in a lengthy caption.

“HIV has affected over 70 million people globally: men, women, children and the most vulnerable people in our communities,” he expressed. “In America, a gay black man has a 50% lifetime chance of contracting HIV. Stigma and shame around HIV and homosexuality is a huge driver of this vulnerability. We need to break down the myths and judgements and not fuel these.”

“You can live a long and healthy life with HIV,” he continued. “Treatment is so advanced that with one pill a day, HIV can become undetectable in your body so you can’t pass it onto other people.”

Sir Elton reiterated that rather than spread misinformation, musicians should “bring people together.”

“Homophobic and HIV mistruths have no place in our society and industry and as musicians, we must spread compassion and love for the most marginalized people in our communities,” he closed.

DaBaby has since apologized for his weekend remarks, tweeting on Tuesday night, “What I said was insensitive.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn)

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Tink’s new album, ‘Heat of the Moment,’ drops Friday

Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for 2016 Essence Festival

Rapper and singer Tink made her return in 2021 with her Yung Bleu-assisted single, “Selfish.” Now, the Chicago native is ready to drop her new album, Heat of the Moment.

The new project will features appearances from Jeremih, Kodak Black and Nigerian superstar DavidoHitmaka, who produced Eric Bellinger’s 1-800-EAZY, will serve as executive producer.

It’s been months since we last heard from Tink on her December 2020 EP, A Gift and a Curse, and her Valentine’s Day 2021 follow-up, Hopeless Romantic. The 26-year-old also released a handful of singles, including “Bottom B****”, “I Ain’t Got Time Today,” and fan-favorite, “Cut It Out.” Yet Tink’s widely known for singles such as “Treat Me Like Somebody,” and the Timbaland-produced track, “Million,” which samples Aaliyah‘s “One in a Million.”

Tink most recently contributed to August Alsina‘s song “Soon As I Walk in,” and K Camp’s single, “Black Men Don’t Cheat” with 6LACK and Ari Lennox.

Heat of the Moment drops Friday, July 30.

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Journey members discuss band’s plans as new lineup prepares for its first shows this week in Chicago

Courtesy of Journey

Journey returns to the concert stage this week for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with two shows in Chicago — one tonight at the Aragon Ballroom and the second on Saturday at the Lollapalooza festival in Grant Park.

The concerts also will mark Journey’s first live performances since three new members were welcomed into the band — bassist Randy Jackson, drummer Narada Michael Walden and keyboardist Jason Derlatka. However, keyboardist Jonathan Cain tells ABC Audio that Jackson — who previously played with Journey during the mid-1980s — will be missing the Chicago gigs.

“Unfortunately, Randy’s not going to be there, ’cause he’s got back surgery,” Cain reports. “Marco Mendoza, a good friend of ours [who] plays great, he’ll fill in for now.”

Cain says he finds it interesting that Journey will launch its new chapter in Chicago, where he was born.

Journey recently released its first single with the new lineup, “The Way We Used to Be,” and Cain says the band likely will include it in their sets this week, as well as plenty of the group’s classic hits. Jonathan also notes that Journey will be playing a longer set at the Aragon Ballroom — which is considered an official Lollapalooza “Aftershow” event — so they may dig deeper into their catalog for that performance.

Journey guitarist Neal Schon, meanwhile, tells ABC Audio that he’s hoping the band will be jamming more and be doing more extended sets in the future.

“I think Journey is capable of being one of the greatest jam bands in the world ever,” he declares. “And everything in my intuition is telling me that it’s time to…encompass it all in one concert, be daring, go out on a limb with no net and create…in front of people.”

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With “emphasis on music and fun,” Dierks Bentley can’t wait to hit the road with Parker McCollum & Riley Green

ABC/Chris Hollo

Dierks Bentley’s Beers on Me tour kicks off in just a few short weeks, and the singer says he’s especially excited about the company he’ll have on the road: opening acts Parker McCollum and Riley Green.

Talking about his role as tour boss, Dierks points out, “I try to make sure that the tour’s really fun. For some of these guys, it’s their first big tour. I know for Parker, it’ll be the first time he’s gone to some of these states before!” 

Mentoring up-and-comers isn’t a job Dierks takes lightly, and that’s partly because of his experience on the road with Kenny Chesney back when he was a newcomer himself.

“I want to make sure they look back on this tour the same way I look back on the Chesney stuff, how well Kenny treated me and how much fun it was,” he says. “An emphasis on music and fun.” 

But keeping the emphasis on music and fun shouldn’t be too hard: Not only does Dierks admire Parker and Riley as artists, but they’re his buddies, too.

“It’s just two great guys,” he says. “I really love both their music and their spirit. They’re people I text with regularly, so it’s a real natural thing.”

Dierks explains why it’s important to have camaraderie with the people you’re sharing the stage with, noting, “I think [it] translates when you get out there on the road. Fans can see that.”

To get a glimpse of the obvious camaraderie between the three singers, look no further than their high-impact cover of Jerry Reed’s “Eastbound & Down.” The Beers on Me tour kicks off August 13 in Salt Lake City. 

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Box set featuring Mark Knopfler’s first five studio albums + B-sides compilation due in December

Rhino

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the release of Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler‘s debut solo album, Golden Heart.  To commemorate the milestone, an expansive box set featuring newly remastered versions of all of the solo studio efforts Knopfler issued from 1996 through 2007 will hit stores on December 10.

Mark Knopfler: The Studio Albums 1996-2007 will be available as a six-CD package or an 11-LP set, and will feature remastered editions of the lauded singer, songwriter and guitarist’s first five solo records — 1996’s Golden Heart, 2000’s Sailing to Philadelphia, 2002’s The Ragpicker’s Dream, 2004’s Shangri-La and 2007’s Kill to Get Crimson. The box set also will include as a bonus disc a new companion compilation titled Gravy Train: The B-Sides 1996-2007.

The vinyl box set will feature two-LP versions of the five studio albums, plus the single-disc compilation, all pressed on 180-gram black vinyl. This will mark the first time that Golden Heart, Sailing to Philadelphia and, of course, Gravy Train, will be available on vinyl.

Both box sets will come with a download card allowing access to digital versions of the albums, plus six embossed art prints of the albums’ covers.

The Knopfler studio album featured in the box set that saw the most commercial success is Sailing to Philadelphia, which peaked at #4 on the U.K. chart and was certified gold for sales of over 500,000 copies in the U.S.

For full details about the box set, visit MarkKnopfler.com.

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Queens of the Stone Age drops off Reading & Leeds lineup

Burak Cingi/Redferns

Queens of the Stone Age will no longer be playing this year’s Reading & Leeds.

In a tweet, Josh Homme and company write that “restrictions and logistics” are preventing them from making the trip to the U.K. next month to play dual festivals.

“We hope everyone has a GREAT time at the festivals and look forward to returning to the U.K. in 2022,” the band says.

While QotSA will no longer be rocking Reading & Leeds, Biffy Clyro has joined the lineup. The bill also includes Liam Gallagher, Machine Gun Kelly, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Two Door Cinema Club, Yungblud, The Struts, FEVER 333, iDKHOW, The Kid Laroi and Wolf Alice, among others.

Reading & Leeds 2021 takes place August 27-29.

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Joan Jett & the Blackhearts set to launch 2021 tour featuring shows with Cheap Trick, Lynyrd Skynyrd & more

Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Live Nation

Joan Jett loves rock ‘n’ roll, and the rock legend will get back to doing what she loves with her band, The Blackhearts, when they kick off a series of 2021 concerts with a show this Sunday, August 1, in San Francisco at the Stern Grove Festival.

Jett & the Blackhearts have 20 concerts lined up this year, running through a November 21 performance in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Several shows on Jett and company’s schedule are joint gigs with some other big-name rock acts. These include an August 12 concert in Vienna, Virginia, with George Thorogood & The Destroyers; performances with Cheap Trick on August 28 and 29, respectively, in Chesterfield, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri; and an October 2 show in Laughlin, Nevada, with Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Joan and the band also will play the 2021 of Milwaukee’s Summerfest on September 9.

Meanwhile, The Stadium Tour, the long-delayed trek that will feature Joan Jett & the Blackhearts teaming up with Def Leppard, the reunited Mötley Crüe and Poison, is scheduled to finally get underway on June 16, 2002, in Atlanta. The outing is plotted out all the way through a September 7 show in San Francisco.

Visit JoanJett.com for a full list of dates.

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Kiana Ledé hints at releasing the music video for “Ur Best Friend” this week

Courtesy of Kiana Ledé

Last week, Kiana Ledé unleashed her “dream collaboration” with fellow R&B singer Kehlani. The two went back and forth on “Ur Best Friend,” contemplating the consequences of cheating in their respective relationships. 

To entice fans about a forthcoming music video, Ledé shared a tempting photo on Instagram of herself and Kehlani appearing to engage in a sensual kiss. “Video this week? How’s that sound?” Ledé wrote in the caption. 

Ledé also tagged Oakland photographer Blair B Brown and Honey Shot Productions, which is comprised of visual artist and photographer Brianna Alyssa and ‘Hyphy Williams,’ Kehlani’s director alias.

Kehlani shared the same photo on her Instagram story to confirm the video will be “directed by me.” 

Fans in the comments shared their enthusiasm over the sexy photo, which they hope will be just as alluring as the “Ur Best Friend” video.

“I don’t think I’m ready, but I’m also extremely ready,” wrote one fan, while another said, “Please, I’m being so patient.”

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