Random Musings

The Who could be calling it a day, with Pete Townshend suffering from tinnitus and making it near impossible for them to continue as a band, or at least a two-piece calling themselves The Who. This has resulted in Roger Daltrey now calling out to Jimmy Page to collaborate on a blues rock project, making him look a bit like the ugly dog at a kennel who needs a home badly before being put down.

Public Image Limited -- the band fronted by Johnny Rotten after the Sex Pistols imploded the first time -- has announced a North American tour for this spring, their first in 18 years on this side of the pond. The dates include a Toronto show and then hitting Montreal the following night.

Tom Petty is expected to announce something big next week, with chances are it being another summer tour. Less likely is a tour in support of a new album, but knowing Petty and his way of pleasing fans, he'll release the album online and in stores with him paying fans $7.99 every time they purchase it.

Canadian Music Week is coming up here in Toronto next month, with several hundred bands playing several dozen venues. It's an exercise in controlled chaos, with small stages being invaded in 40-minute spurts. Even funnier is watching bands scurry on and off with their gear on a stage which has the square footage of a Brazilian brothel. Whether I'll receive a pass for this event is unknown, as on previous occasions the media accreditation was denied due to me trying to cover the event for a foreign publication. What better way to promote your festival then to ban foreign press coverage!?!

The Stones are releasing Exile On Main Street as part of their ongoing reissue series. Fortunately this time around they're adding 10 additional songs which Jagger believed were non-existent, much like parts of world tours they did in the '70s. The package will also be far superior than the Ya-Yas Box Set disaster they recently put out, featuring a couple of videos and the complete sets of Ike & Tina Turner.

Ron Sexsmith has a new album coming out, this time produced by Metallica producer Bob Rock. Should make for an interesting listen, although hopefully there's not a lot of pyrotechnics at future Sexsmith concerts.