18/03/2010

MGMT have turned down supporting slots with Lady Gaga, U2, Coldplay and Foo Fighters.

The ‘Electric Feel’ hitmakers – consisting of Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Martin Goldwasser – are determined not to perform arena shows with huge acts because they don’t want to be pop stars.

Andrew said: “We’ve recently been offered support slots with a ton of big bands. Really huge, enormous, big bands – Like Lady Gaga and U2 and Coldplay and Foo Fighters. And we turned them all down. We really didn’t want to do any of that.”

Ben believes the US duo have been “blown out of proportion” as a musical act because their aim was always to be a rock band and not a pop group.

He said: “Well, we really do feel like we were blown out of proportion by everybody. We don’t feel like pop stars, we feel like a rock band. We don’t want to play arenas. It’s not our mission.”

Because of this, they have made a point of making sure their new LP ‘Congratulations’ is different to their last album ‘Oracular Spectacular’.

Andrew explained: “I think on some level it is a reaction to the success of the first one. I mean, of course we were happy and felt lucky that stuff happened, but it wasn’t really what we were shooting for. I think a lot of people misinterpreted and misunderstood what we were about.”

Upon first Refraction helps the viewer to reflect and respond to the darkest time of the year by considering the unique qualities of lightness and darkness. also, Upon first Refraction presents the viewer with various notions, powers, emissions, reflections, as well as analyzing the mysticism surrounding the winter solstice. upon first Refraction will be held at Drake Hotel on Saturday, November 28 until February 9 More on upon first Refraction here

There are winter solstices and then there are ’soul-tresses’, ha! Lady Gaga clearly is on a fast track to world domination. She named her first album The Fame long before she could lay any claim the illusion, the album sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide, which makes her eight-song follow-up all that more intriguing. Gaga kinda comes across as an eclectic mix of Ace of Base with a huge helping of Amy Winehouse – expect, to see lots of blood, fire, wicked piano playing, way too many crotch shots, and maybe a few members of the Paparazzi. but hey, that’s Lady Gaga for you. Lady Gaga’s, the Monster Ball Tour will land at the Air Canada Centre on November 28 More on Lady Gaga’s the Monster Ball Tour here

Step forward, step back and maybe take a ride on a disco stick, because it’s time for The Almighty Ball!!! So get your cameras ready there’ll be lots of PYT’s vying to win the vogueing competition. the Almighty Ball takes place at the Gladstone Ballroom on November 28 More on the Almighty Ball here. Or maybe you just need a good dose of Deep Dish. Deep Dish spend their days touring the globe and remixing tracks for the likes of Madonna, The Rolling Stones and Brother Brown. the duo even won a Grammy in 2002 for their remix of Dido’s Thank You. Deep Dish will perform at the Guvernment on November 28 More on Deep Dish here

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles pulled out all the stops for its 30th anniversary blowout bash Saturday night.

The buzz of the evening was Lady Gaga’s performance of her new ballad, “Speechless,” as part of a production masterminded by Italian artist Francesco Vezzoli. The singer played a pink piano designed by Damien Hirst and wore a towering hat created by Frank Gehry, a mask by Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, and a frothy costume by Prada. She was accompanied by a performance from the Bolshoi Ballet. The piece was appropriately titled, “Ballets Russes Italian Style (The Shortest Musical You Will Never See Again),” and, together, the elements left guests overwhelmed. “It’s a triumph,” said billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad.

Given the eclectic nature of the one-night-only presentation, the thousand-plus guest list ran the gamut — starlets Kate Bosworth, Eva Mendes and Carey Mulligan; leading men Pierce Brosnan, Kyle MacLachlan and James Franco; fashion insiders Hedi Slimane, Peter Dundas, Carine Roitfeld, Cameron Silver, Juicy Couture’s Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy, and Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy; artists Takashi Murakami, John Baldessari, David Hockney and Ed Ruscha; movie producers Brian Grazer, Joel Silver and Ridley Scott; musicians K.D. Lang and Gavin Rossdale; scribes Gore Vidal and Diablo Cody; Ukrainian billionaire Victor Pinchuk and Kazakhstanian boxing champ Wladimir Klitschko, and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie even dropped by to tour the museum’s new exhibition before dashing off to a friend’s wedding.

Still, it was the Lady herself who drew Jessica Alba, Gwen Stefani and Jenni Kayne. “My daughter is really jealous,” said Kate Beckinsale, who left her 10-year-old Lily home for date night with husband Len Wiseman.

Lady Gaga, for her part, said she was honored that Vezzoli chose to use “Speechless,” a love song written for her father. “I think it might change my career,” she said.

“It couldn’t have worked with anyone else,” said Vezzoli of his muse. “I wanted to have the Nijinsky of our day — the most courageous, the most daring.”

After helping MOCA raise nearly $4 million — including the $450,000 sale of the Hirst-designed piano to gallerist Larry Gagosian — Zoe Saldana, Pharrell Williams and Margherita Missoni trekked across town to join Tom Ford and Nicky Hilton for the after party hosted by Prism Gallery, Dasha Zhukova and Pop magazine.

Tim in Bowling Green, Ohio: I’m curious, is Dexter more interested in Trinity as a mentor or as a nemesis?
We just saw Michael C. Hall himself and asked him this and he told us, “Both, as is often the case with Dexter. I think the only answer I can give you is both. What’s really fun about it is Dexter as an equal amount of reverence and disdain for the character and those things are commingled in the relationship.”

Jackie in San Francisco: Does Deb‘s search for her dad‘s confidential informants change her relationship with her brother?
We were wondering the same thing, and Jennifer Carpenter told us, “It has to, because it changes her relationship with herself, and it changes her relationship with her father.”

Randall in New York: Last week’s Supernatural was unbelievable! So hilarious and so well done. Got any scoop on what’s next?
According to my mole: There is an episode coming next year in which Anna returns and wants to kill Sam, so he doesn’t say yes to Lucifer. She travels back in time to kill Mary and John Winchester, so Dean and Sam go back in time to try and stop her. So does that mean we’ll see Jeffrey Dean Morgan again? Sadly, no, as it will be “young John” and “young Mary.” For the record, CW, I like my John W. old and scruffy and JDM-y!

—Additional reporting by Jennifer Godwin, Kirstin Benson and Brett Malec

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