News Roundup 2011: November

Despite roughly a year of rumours, denials, confirmations and more denials the original four members of Black Sabbath finally announced that they would be getting back together for a world tour AND a new studio album (their first together in 33 years) which is being produced by Rick Rubin. The announcement took place on 11/11/11 at the Whiskey A Go Go in LA - exactly 41 years after the band's first ever show in the city.

So far the UK has just one show scheduled - a headline set at the Download Festival on 10 June - although a world tour is due to follow soon after.

Pete Townshend had some fairly unkind words for Apple and iTunes at the Radio Festival in Manchester. "Is there really any good reason why, just because iTunes exists in the wild west internet land of Facebook and Twitter, it can't provide some aspect of these services to the artists whose work it bleeds like a digital vampire, like a digital Northern Rock, for its enormous commission?" He also said that illegal downloaders "may as well come and steal my son's bike while they're at it. If someone pretends that something I have created should be available to them free... I wonder what has gone wrong with human morality and social justice."

In a separate interview later in the month, Townshend revealed that he had originally wanted Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten to play the lead in the movie version of Quadrophenia. The role, of course, went to Phil Daniels, but Townshend said of Rotten "I knew him as he'd been using my studio in Soho, what a fucking diamond, and so smart but unfortunately we went out with the director... Johnny Rotten liked to drink and so did I, and we went out and got pissed and I drove my car the wrong way around a roundabout. We went to Camden Palais together and I got stopped by the police and they hauled us out." He continued: "Anyway I think he decided not to do it - I don't think it was us. I really wanted him. I don't know how good he would have been, but he's very, very intense. He could have been good."

Rob Halford's former manager filed a massive $50m lawsuit against Judas Priest in November. John Baxter, who had been Halford's personal manager since 1982 until he was fired in August, claims he discovered in August that frontman Rob Halford owes him millions of dollars for contract breaches, including failure to pay commissions, salary and expenses dating back to 1992.

Bruce Springsteen took everyone by surprise by announcing that his new album with the E Street Band was nearly finished. The future of the band had been up in air since Clarence Clemons' sad death in June, but it was revealed on Bruce's official website "we want you to know that the music is almost done (but still untitled), we have almost settled on the release date (but not quite yet)". They also announced a number of dates on an extensive world tour, including headline sets at both Hard Rock Calling and the Isle Of Wight Festival.

How's this for a surreal piece of rock memorabilia - a Stephen Tyler Cabbage Patch Doll:

And finally, NFL fans in Detroit started a petition to prevent Nickelback from playing at a halftime show. The petition read "This game is nationally televised, do we really want the rest of the US to associate Detroit with Nickelback? Detroit is home to so many great musicians and they chose Nickelback?!?!?! Does anyone even like Nickelback? Is this some sort of ploy to get people to leave their seats during halftime to spend money on alcoholic beverages and concessions? This is completely unfair to those of us who purchased tickets to the game. At least the people watching at home can mute their TVs. The Lions ought to think about their fans before choosing such an awful band to play at halftime."

The petition quickly gathered tens of thousands of signatures but the band faced their detractors and played the show on 24 November. Prior to the show they also released pretty funny video, parodying themselves the petition:

Nickelback responds to NFL Petition from Nickelback