Let's Spend the Night Together: Mick Rock, David Bowie and the 'Don't Dream it, Be it' EthosTim Curry on set of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' - copyright Mick Rock

When Tim Curry strutted onto the big screen in a black garter belt, shimmering corset top, spiked stilettos and ruby red lipstick, it was a mindset-shifting moment in pop culture. Even those who initially disregarded the low-budget musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show as trash, had to admit the imagery in it was pretty unforgettable. Its catchy songs and sexy stylings seemed destined to be iconic from the start. 

Fifty years after its release, the film’s celebration of individuality, sexual freedom and freak-dom resonates more than ever. In celebration of the anniversary, Los Angeles definitely paid homage in significant ways last year, from panels and Q&A’s with stars (at The Roxy, The Academy Museum and The Grammy Museum) to special screenings, the most memorable of which brought a real time warp to Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s Cinespia and a surprise visit from a wheelchair bound but still bitingly droll Curry and alongside co-star Barry Bostwick aka “Brad,” plus the famed group, Sins O’ the Flesh (who got their start enacting the film at The Nuart theater in L.A.) doing choreo in front of the giant outdoor screen.  

Alaska Thunderfuck at FAB LA - by Steve Lucero for FAB LA

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS

A marvelous display took place in December via the lens of legendary rock n’ roll photographer Mick Rock, who released a Rocky Horror book this year documenting scenes from the set during the making of the 1975 cult classic.  Rock, best known for his vibrant work with David Bowie, as well as various album covers for Iggy Pop, Joan Jett and Queen, passed away in 2021, but as his wife Pati Rock told us (exclusively), he left behind an endless treasure trove of images, both digital and on film. The Rocky book is just the first of what she says will be many more upcoming tomes highlighting the decadent music figures and cultural game changers he shot like only he could. 

Using the Rock book as inspiration, curator Kii Arens, best known for the LA LA Land Gallery in Hollywood, welcomed fans to his new DTLA art space, FAB LA, with a mind-flipping thematic soiree featuring Picture Show-inspired art by a who’s who of L.A. luminaries. RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Alaska Thunderfuck (who did a sultry sync on, what else?— “Sweet Transvestite”) and DJs Sean Patrick (Simon Says) and Chris Holmes (Paul McCartney’s personal touring deejay) provided the entertainment.    

Abhora Rules, Amy Doan and pal at FAB LA - by Steve Lucero for FAB LA

Designer Michael Schmidt (known for making shiny luxe looks for the biggest pop divas in the world, including Madonna, Cher, Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Rihanna) made Ms. Alaska’s Curry-covered frock, perfect for her Frank-n-Furter frolic through the beautiful DTLA building. We should note that beyond dress-up, Alaska had a triumphant year with her stage show Drag The Musical making a splash off-Broadway in NYC and that she's the co-host of Hot Goss, one of our favorite podcasts of the year on the Moguls of Media (MOM) network, co-created with fellow drag doll Willam Belli. 

Fab fashion was called for at this fete, and Plastic God (known for his collectable digital art portraits of music stars, and recent collab with Hello Kitty, melding the Sanrio cat with legends like Boy George, Eazy E and Axl Rose); former MTV VJ Jesse Camp (now sporting a mustache!); Johnny Stuntz (hair stylist for Mariah Carey and Trent Reznor); makeup artist Darian Darling, pretty in Barbie pink; and Sugarpill Cosmetics' Amy Doan and partner Abhora Rules from The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans 2; all delivered. Sequins, corsets and lip prints were just some of the Rocky references seen in the crowd.

Nick Launay and Jesse Camp at FAB LA - by Lina Lecaro

DATE WITH THE NIGHT

The plaster cast of a naked Susan Sarandon from the movie was the hit of the event. Nick Launay, a revered music producer whose worked with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, Public Image Ltd, Gang of Four, Killing Joke and Amyl and the Sniffers, to name a few, is the owner of the piece and the tale of how he came to acquire the famed “Janet” statue is pretty wild.

"We still had no idea what the statue was," Launay told us, revealing that a friend identified the plaster mold of Sarandon several years after he found it in an old warehouse. It lived at his dad's place but, "eventually I decided “Janet” needed to be in Hollywood where I currently live," he explained. "I had it shipped, and then restored to its original beauty by a renowned art museum specialist."

Launay who is currently working with Danny Elfman, also told us he's open to selling the priceless piece (serious offers only). Contact him via his Instagram if you're interested.

In a related note, a little birdie told us that the former Oingo Boingo frontman will be popping up on SNL with A$AP Rocky, whom he plays drums for on the rockin' new release, Don't Be Dumb and the first single, "Punk Rocky," this Saturday.

A moment of silence for David Bowie at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame -- by Lina Lecaro

THERE'S A STARMAN...

From his glitzy persona to his profoundly poetic lyrics, creatives in Los Angeles share a kinship with David Bowie that lives on to this day. Ten years after his death, tribute events are flooding stages big and small across the country in January. On Jan. 10., the date of his passing a decade later, several celebrations took place in L.A. that conjured the icon’s spirit in the most evocative ways possible. Angelenos have a special kind of D.B. devotion. The music industry is based in L.A. after all, and there are few artists who don’t count the chameleon-like performer as an influence, especially in rock n’ roll. 

Though Bowie once called L.A. his “favorite museum” –and he didn’t mean it as a compliment– it did influence him in many ways. It’s where he recorded most of 1976’s game-changing Station to Station and found a confidante in Rolling Stone writer and future filmmaker Cameron Crowe following an into from Ron Wood.

Still, his overall disdain for the city is well-documented. Crowe’s 2025 memoir, The Uncool, highlights the period of creative struggle and substance abuse before Bowie left for Berlin and entered his "Thin White Duke" phase, and as the book outlines with earnest dismay, he did not enjoy reflecting on his “lost year in L.A.” as its known, nor Crowe’s RS’s cover story from that time.

That said, things were different when Bowie received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Feb. 12, 1992. With wife Iman by his side, he was radiant and healthy, clearly appreciative of being recognized by the entertainment world, which always fascinated him and beckoned him to the big screen. He’d go on to make appearances in both 1996’s Basquiat and 2001’s Zoolander in the years that followed.

David Bowie's star -- by Lina Lecaro

We joined dozens of dedicated fans who gathered at the star – in front of the former home of the now-shuttered Knitting Factory L.A. music club, now an LA Fitness facility– to honor their favorite musician on the 10th anniversary of his death. To them, he was more than a music maker. He was a diety who encouraged fans to make art and be art and to express themselves "in beautiful ways," one of them said. They brought flowers, lit candles, and played his songs, culminating in a ritualistic circle around the star as “Black Star” played from a boombox. They all said they felt him there at that moment, and so did we.

Of course, Mick Rock famously captured Bowie, highlighting his magical Ziggy Stardust persona in the book, Mick Rock. The Rise of David Bowie. 1972–1973 (we'll never forget the opening party at the Taschen store on Beverly Blvd.) His Rocky Horror work was a year later, in '74, and very much in the same spirit, highlighting the outlandish expression ("don't dream it, be it"), androgyny and musical magic that still inspires so many to this day.

If you're in L.A., visit David Bowie's star in Hollywood and check out upcoming Bowie events this week including a Saturday evening tribute show from Music Connection-profiled artist Julian Shah-Tayler, a DJ-driven bar night next week, and the Celebrating Bowie tour at the end of the month, featuring members of Devo, Fishbone and Eagles of Death Metal, in February.

The Mick Rock 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' exhibit closes on Sunday, Jan. 18, but the book is available here. More info on the artshow here.

The post Let's Spend the Night Together: Mick Rock, David Bowie and the 'Don't Dream it, Be it' Ethos first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Duran Duran at the Honda Center, Anaheim, CARock and Roll Fame inductees (2022) Duran Duran played the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on January 8th. Duran Duran is 4/5 of their classic lineup with lead vocalist Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor, and drummer Roger Taylor. Dom Brown has been the guitarist since 2006 after Andy Taylor left the group for the second time. It’s been nearly 45 years since the group released their debut album and to this day the group continues to sell arenas worldwide. This short run of seven shows also included stops in Palm Desert, CA, Las Vegas, NV, San Diego, CA, and Phoenix, AZ. This 20-song set included a number of hits like “The Wild Boys,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “A View to a Kill,” from the James Bond film of the same name, “Notorious,” “Ordinary World,” and “The Reflex.” There were also covers of ELO’s “Evil Woman,” Rick James’ “Super Freak” mashed with “Lonely In Your Nightmare,” with the last song before the encore being “Girls On Film,” combined with Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer.” They returned for a two-song encore of “Save a Prayer,” and “Rio.”

Photos by Alex KluftThe post Duran Duran at the Honda Center, Anaheim, CA first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Country Music Association CEO Sarah Trahern to retire at end of 2026CMA says successor is expected to be announced in February
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Touring Economics: Why Concert Tickets Cost $150 in Austin But $68 in ClevelandNew data uncovers how venue competition and regional pricing patterns are reshaping the sustainability of live music in different U.S. cities.
The post Touring Economics: Why Concert Tickets Cost $150 in Austin But $68 in Cleveland appeared first on Hypebot.

How AI-Curious Artists Can Move Beyond ChatGPTHow artists can become AI experts just by building stronger intuition, and why that's even important in the first place.
The post How AI-Curious Artists Can Move Beyond ChatGPT appeared first on Hypebot.

NAMM features the first #MusicTechnology innovation hub on the show, Yamaha had also opened #Music innovation hub, it is the new #MusicBusiness

FILM - TV - THEATER - GAMES: PROPS AND OPPSPROPS

There’s a lot in store for Sierra Madre Playhouse’s 2026 season, Small Stage, Big World, during which the intimate venue will showcase more than 90 diverse programs across theater, dance, music, jazz, and film, plus new and anticipated additions including opera, comedy, and an author series. Highlights include artist residencies with violinist Martin Chalifour and Brightwork Newmusic, groundbreaking premieres such as George Sarah’s live chamber music score for Sergei Eisenstein’s silent film Battleship Potemkin, and partnerships with East West Players and Bob Baker Marionette Theater. Featuring international voices, innovative collaborations and family events, the Playhouse is celebrating art that connects communities across borders and generations. Learn about all the varied offerings and new additions at sierramadreplayhouse.org/calendar, and contact Libby Huebner at libby@adlibpr.com for more information.

The 16th Annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards once again celebrated music in film, television, and video games and the artists and creators behind them. Winners included "Dream As One" from Avatar: Fire and Ash, written by Miley Cyrus, Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, and Simon Franglen, in addition to "Highest 2 Lowest" from Highest 2 Lowest, written by Aiyana-Lee Anderson and Nicole Daciana Anderson, and "Dear Me" from Diane Warren: Relentless, written by Diane Warren. The event featured special performances by nominees including Miles Caton (Sinners), Aiyana-Lee (Highest 2 Lowest), Aryana Sayeed and Jeff Beal (Rulebreakers), and Diane Warren (Diane Warren: Relentless).View the complete list of winners and nominees at hmmawards.com/2025-hmma-nominations, and contact Rebekah Alperin at ralperin@costacomm.com for more information.

Graceland—the Memphis, TN home and estate of the late Elvis Presley—will host the first advanced U.S. screenings of Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concerton January 8, 2026—Elvis’s birthday—offering two free showings at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the TCB Showroom. The 2025 documentary film blends long-lost footage from Elvis’s 1970s Las Vegas residency with rare 16mm and 8mm archival material and newly unearthed recordings of Elvis sharing his own story. It follows Luhrmann’s 2022 biographical film Elvis about the King of Rock and Roll. The screenings are part of the 2026 Elvis Birthday Celebration. Learn more at graceland.com/elvis-news/posts/baz-luhrmanns-epic-elvis-presley-in-concert-graceland-premiere-screenings.

OPPS

The 6th annual International Conference on Audio for Virtual and Augmented Reality and Immersive Games—an event by the Audio Engineering Society focused on audio for extended reality and interactive gaming—has issued a call for proposals open until March 24. They are seeking professionals involved in audio for virtual and augmented reality, immersive audio, and gaming to participate in workshops, tutorials, and masterclasses. The event will be June 30-July 3. More information can be found at aes2.org.

The New Century Dance Project has issued a call for choreographic fellows with a submission deadline of Jan. 12. The fellowship, which is part of the 2026 festival slated for July 24–August 2 in Santa Fe, is open to upper-level collegiate (Junior and above) through established career professionals. Learn more and submit your work at newcenturydanceproject.org/call-for-choreographic-fellows.

February 6 is the deadline for submissions (you must also register by January 31) for the Indie Film Music Contest. The competition, which offers cash prizes, focuses on musical storytelling without regard for sound quality to give beginners a fair chance to compete. More information and submission guidelines can be found at indiefilmmusiccontest.com.The post FILM - TV - THEATER - GAMES: PROPS AND OPPS first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Australia’s recorded music royalty rates for radio play to rise by 38% after tribunal rulingThe country's recorded music industry says it will push to end Australia's 1% cap on recording royalties paid by radio
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6 Ways Bandsintown’s New Marketplace Helps Artists Level UpBandsintown for Artists features over 30 integrations and partner tools to help indie artists grow, amplify their visibility, and connect closer to fans.
The post 6 Ways Bandsintown’s New Marketplace Helps Artists Level Up appeared first on Hypebot.

Apple Launches Apple Creator Studio: New Creative Powerhouse for Musicians and ProducersApple has announced the launch of Apple Creator Studio, a new subscription bundle designed to unify its most powerful creative tools under one roof. For musicians, songwriters and producers, this marks a significant shift in how Apple’s professional ecosystem can be accessed and utilized.
The post Apple Launches Apple Creator Studio: New Creative Powerhouse for Musicians and Producers appeared first on Hypebot.

GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Album NotesThe 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Album Notes category.

Take a look at the nominated albums below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

Adios, Farewell, Goodbye, Good Luck, So Long: On Stage 1964-1974Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Buck Owens And His Buckaroos)

After The Last SkyAdam Shatz, album notes writer (Anouar Brahem, Anja Lechner, Django Bates, Dave Holland)

ÁrabeAmanda Ekery, album notes writer (Amanda Ekery)

The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967Alec Palao, album notes writer (Sly & The Family Stone)

A Ghost Is Born — 20th Anniversary Deluxe EditionBob Mehr, album notes writer (Wilco)

Miles '55: The Prestige RecordingsAshley Kahn, album notes writer (Miles Davis)The post GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Album Notes first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Music streaming platforms now host quarter of a BILLION tracks. Where does it end?New Luminate report reveals head-spinning volume of content on audio services, as debate rages over minimum-stream payout thresholds.
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Every US Venue That Was Awarded a Music in Action Grant in 2025LMS's Music in Action grants were set up to fund venues engaging with their local communities on a deeper level, and to support efforts to transform the role live music plays in society at large.
The post Every US Venue That Was Awarded a Music in Action Grant in 2025 appeared first on Hypebot.

Clio Music Awards 2026 Winners AnnouncedClio Music has named its 2026 winners. The awards recognize creative excellence in music marketing, brand/artist collaborations, and the use of music in advertising, film and trailers.
The post Clio Music Awards 2026 Winners Announced appeared first on Hypebot.

GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Music FilmThe 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Music Film category.

Take a listen to the nominated films below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

DevoDevoChris Smith, video director; Danny Gabai, Anita Greenspan, Chris Holmes & Chris Smith, video producers

Live At The Royal Albert HallRayePaul Dugdale, video director; Stefan Demetriou & Amy James, video producers

RelentlessDiane WarrenBess Kargman, video director; Peggy Drexler, Michele Farinola, Bess Kargman & Kat Nguyen, video producers

Music By John WilliamsJohn WilliamsLaurent Bouzereau, video director; Sara Bernstein, Laurent Bouzereau, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Meredith Kaulfers, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg & Justin Wilkes, video producers

Piece By PiecePharrell WilliamsMorgan Neville, video director; Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, Mimi Valdes & Pharrell Williams, video producersThe post GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Music Film first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.