6 Embarrassing On-Stage Incidents Caught On Camera

Being a rock star may seem like the most glamorous job on earth, but it can also come with its own set of humiliations. For example, if one of us trips on the street or in our apartment, chances are thousands of people worldwide won’t care enough to email it to their friends and colleagues, but the same can’t be said for Beyoncé.

Fender Guitar Fest Rocks AZ School

For the fourth year running, downtown Mesa, Ariz., resonated with the ring of guitars as student guitar ensembles from eight Phoenix-area middle schools and high schools participated in the annual Fender Guitar Festival.

Held at a new venue this time, the spaciously modern Mesa Arts Center, the March 25-26 event gave students from eight Valley schools a two-day immersion in guitar performance, instruction and maintenance presented by staff from Fender headquarters in neighboring Scottsdale, Ariz.

Guitar ensembles from Desert Vista High School, Westar/Estrella, Kino Jr. High School, Washington High School, Alhambra High School, Raymond S. Kellis High School, Dobson High School and Maryvale High School performed a few songs each. As in previous years, Fender Music education director Bob Morris offered praise and constructive suggestions to each group after each performance.

The fourth year of this outstanding event was the best so far,” Morris said. “The level of guitar talent in the local schools is astounding to me—it just keeps getting better and better each year.”

The Fender Guitar Festival also featured student “test drive” demonstrations of Fender guitars, basses and amplifiers, instrument care and maintenance instruction, the Rock Band™-equipped Toyota Matrix concept car and performances by Phoenix-area musicians.

Gibson News Wire: Ryan Adams

It turns out those reports of Ryan Adams’ “temporary” retirement from music have been greatly exaggerated. In the guise of his occasional side project Werewolph, the unpredictable singer-songwriter has resurfaced, at least online. Featured at the Werewolph website are three new goth-metal tracks available for streaming. Titled, respectively, “Pink is Not Your Color,” “Evil Weekend,” and “Enemy Ghost Ships,” each song rocks ferociously. Adams left his band, the Cardinals, last month, declaring that he was “stepping back” from the music business. The Werewolph tracks are his first recorded work since marrying Mandy Moore last month.