Loose Ends: Bruce Cockburn Inducted, Scott Stapp Marries And Marilyn Manson's Movie

Singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn will be the recipient of the Canadian Academy Of Recording Arts And Sciences' inaugural Humanitarian Award at the CTV-televised Juno Awards show in Halifax on April 2. The Canadian Music Hall Of Famer's lyrics often touch on political and social justice issues, and he's also worked with the Unitarian Service Committee, OXFAM, Friends Of The Earth and Amnesty International during his 35-year career.

Former Creed singer Scott Stapp will marry Jaclyn Nesheiwat, Miss New York 2004, on February 10. The two met a year ago at a fundraising gala for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in New York and were engaged late last year. The beauty queen is now the director of public affairs for the Scott Stapp Foundation, which promotes healthy parent-child relationships. We're not sure if members of The Tea Party have been invited to the wedding, but we're certain that no-one from 311 will be there. If you can't make it to the ceremony, you can console yourself by seeing the 32-year-old belt out tunes from his The Great Divide solo debut at Toronto's Opera House on March 7.

The recently married Marilyn Manson has been taking a break from music to write the screenplay for the "arthouse horror" movie, Phantasmagoria — The Visions Of Lewis Carroll. The 36-year-old has also been working on costumes and make-up for the film, so who better to play the title character than the man with the most intimate knowledge of the project. While Manson (real name Brian Warner) wants to portray the Alice In Wonderland author, he first has to come up with $4.2 million U.S. to make the movie. He'll attend the Berlin Film Festival, which begins on February 9, to try to stir up interest.

We previously reported on Nas signing a deal with Def Jam, but now we can tell you that the agreement also gives the rapper his own hip-hop label imprint, Jones Experience (his real name is Nasir Jones). The new deal still involves Columbia, which has been Nas' label for 11 years. Def Jam and Columbia's parent company, Sony BMG, will participate as financial partners in the first two albums of the four-record pact and will also share marketing costs. Columbia will retain ownership of Nas' existing catalogue and will release a greatest hits collection that will include two new tracks.

The New Pantheon Awards ceremony, which was originally scheduled for February 6 in Los Angeles, has been bumped to a still-to-be-determined date in March. Organizers felt they needed more time to create the kind of high-quality show they want to produce.

Former Great White manager Daniel Biechele has indicated that he's willing to plead guilty to some of the 200 charges he's facing following the 2003 nightclub fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island that killed 100 people and injured more than 200. Biechele had previously pleaded innocent to the charges, which include involuntary manslaughter. Biechele lit the pyrotechnics which started the blaze after sparks came in contact with flammable soundproofing foam which was in violation of the state fire code.

Joseph Yacteen, the 26-year-old accused of shooting singer/songwriter Marc Cohn in the head last August, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder. Cohn was shot in the temple and his driver/tour manager Thomas Dube was grazed by a bullet as their tour van was allegedly being carjacked. Both men were treated and released from a Denver hospital. Police said that Yacteen then stole another vehicle and was arrested at an empty house after a standoff that lasted almost six hours. Yacteen faces a number of other charges, including second-degree assault, and could be sentenced to up to 90 years in prison if convicted of all counts. Meanwhile, we assume that Cohn is still walking in Memphis.

A federal court jury in Houston has found rapper Lil' Flip and Sony BMG Music Entertainment guilty of willful copyright infringement. Lil' Flip (real name Wesley Eric Weston) was sued in November 2004 for the unauthorized use of three melodies on his platinum-selling Sony debut album, Undaground Legend. The lawsuit claimed that the melodies were created by Tommy L. Granville, a Shreveport, Louisiana songwriter and producer. The jury agreed and awarded Granville $150,000 U.S., the maximum statutory damage amount permitted by law.

Toronto concert announcements:
February 16 Down With Webster, Bastid Sonz and Angry Agency @ Lee's Palace
February 16 Fathead, Mr. Rick And The Biscuits and The Gary Kendall Band @ Silver Dollar
February 17 Magneta Lane, The Old Soul, Cancer Bats, Tokyo Police Club and Now Yr Taken @ Berkeley Church
February 18 Swamperella @ The Gladstone
February 22 Common and Shad K @ Kool Haus
February 27 Devin Townsend Band and Reckon With One @ Lee's Palace
March 1 Stars and Magnet @ The Docks
March 2 Figurines, The Blue Van, Pernille, Kia and The Kindred Spirits @ The Drake
March 2 The Philosopher Kings @ The Phoenix
March 2 The Marble Index, The Miniatures, Ron Hawkins, Jim Noir and Fieldguide @ Republik
March 3 Def Jux, Aesop Rock, Cage, El-P and Mr. Lif @ Opera House
March 4 No Use For A Name, Suicide Machines, I Am The Avalanche and Versus The World @ Opera House
March 4 Isobel Campbell, Tony Dekker and Jim Noir @ Revival
March 4 Sarah Blasko, Iron On, The Gin Club, Expatriate and Giants Of Science @ El Mocambo
March 8 Violent Femmes @ Massey Hall
March 8 Dollarama-Rama @ Mod Club
March 9 Bleed The Dream, The Fully Down and Red October @ El Mocambo
March 14 Rhett Miller and Teddy Thompson @ Horseshoe
March 15 Hot Chip @ Lee's Palace
March 21 Jamie Cullum @ Harbourfront Centre
March 24 Children Of Bodom, Chimaira and Bullet For My Valentine @ Kool Haus
March 25 Randy Newman @ Convocation Hall
March 26 Kris Kristofferson @ Convocation Hall
March 26 Scout Niblett @ Horseshoe
March 29 Blowfly and Brownman Electryc Trio @ Lula Lounge
March 31 Guy Terrifico (Matt Murphy) @ Lee's Palace
April 1 Gereen Carnation, Beyond The Embrace and Will Of The Ancients @ The Marquee
April 7 Cesaria Evora and African Guitar Summit @ Massey Hall
April 8 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah @ Opera House (new venue)
April 11 UB40 and Elan @ Massey Hall
April 16 Unexpect, Augury and Visions Of The Night @ Lee's Palace
April 20 Ladytron @ Opera House
April 21 Jamie Lidell and Jimmy Edgar @ Lee's Palace
May 31 Disfear, Misery Index, Strong Intention and Mesrine @ Lee's Palace
June 21 Liars @ Lee's Palace

Vancouver concert announcements:
February 10 Too Short, Emotionz, 4th World and Stimulant J @ Plush
March 3 Perry Farrell (DJ set) @ Richard's On Richards
March 3 Controller.Controller, You Say Party! We Say Die! and The Meligrove Band @ Richard's On Richards
March 8 The Greyboy Allstars @ Commodore Ballroom
March 18 Death By Stereo, Big D And The Kid's Table, Big Wig and The Flatliners @ Seylynn Hall
March 23 Hugh Cornwell @ Media Club
March 24 Art Brut @ Richard's On Richards
March 26 The Sisters Of Mercy and The Warlocks @ Commodore Ballroom
March 27 Jason Collett and Paso Mino @ Richard's On Richards
March 29 Arab Strap @ Media Club
March 31 Rob Thomas and Anna Nalick @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
April 2 James Blunt, Boy Least Likely To and Sierra Swan @ Orpheum Theatre
April 2 Michael Franti @ Commodore Ballroom
April 6 John Vanderslice @ Media Club
May 6 TV On The Radio @ Richard's On Richards