One of the more buzzed about events at Canadian Music Week continues to be the Chum FM Fan Fest held at the Masonic Temple, the home of MTV Canada. Last year, it was really the place to be as the very hot Katy Perry was making a performance. This year, it was Daughtry and Hedley headlining.

The Fan Fest is always a fun event to cover. Maybe not great from a photographers perspective, as we can only shoot the performances from a VIP balcony. The good news, when CTV puts on a party – they do it up right and the roaming appetizers and open bar certainly would not be considered a hindrance to shooting. I tried to use my unique shooting position – above, stage left to capture things a little differently then if you were in the usual pit position. If anything, it allowed me to capture some fan interaction with the performers.

And if anything, the Fan Fest is about that.

Each artist played about a three song set with Daughtry and Hedley playing longer.

Faber Drive.
Girlicious.
Jacob from Hedley signs autograph mid-performance.
Karl Wolf.
DJ Dopey entertains between sets in VIP lounge.
Stereos.
Daughtry.
Faber Drive.
The Fans on the floor.
Joey McIntyre.
Faber Drive.

The three original members – lead vocalist Mark Holmes, guitarist Sergio Galli, and drummer Chris Steffler where in attendance at the Royal York hotel to receive their award and take a trip down memory lane.

Holmes couldn’t help but break down during their acceptance speech and shed tears for Kenny MacLean – the fourth Platinum Blonde member that joined the group a few years later in 1985, and died suddenly in late 2008.

During interviews with media in the green room after the event, all members talked openly about pressing ahead with plans for a new record and reunion tour.

“I miss him so much. We decided, because of Kenny, that we would get back together. It was great to play together the other night (Wednesday at the Mod Club in Toronto). We wish Kenny was there.” – Mark Holmes, March 12, 2010

photos courtesy shot7.com

The only thing that was a little surprising was one member of the group, Natalie Majia was busted for cocaine possession just three days earlier.

Since cross border travel is considered almost impossible with pending drug charges – media even reported the current Girlicious tour would mostly likely be postponed.

That didn’t turn out to be the case as Girlicious took the stage in Toronto to an enthusiastic audience. But in earlier scheduled press interviews – We hear Natalie didn’t appear with the two other members.

photos courtesy shot7.com

(HoundsTV – Toronto) Guitar god Slash was a keynote guest during 2010 Canadian Music Week. He did a lot of press to talk up his upcoming solo record.

And we mean A LOT.

Jane Stevenson, of QMI Agency (or whatever new call letters media consolidation in Canada continues to dream up. I will only continue to think of her as the long-time music reporter “Jane Stevenson from the Toronto Sun“)

Stevenson sat down with Slash and asked him his feelings about Axl Rose’s forever-in-the-making and eventually released Guns N’ Roses record Chinese Democracy:

“I thought it was exactly what I thought it would sound like… It was very indicative of what I thought he would do. So it was absolutely no surprise. ’Cause we had sort of like the Guns N’ Roses sound, which was just a straight-ahead rock band, and along the way Axl started to get very sort of techno, or had a lot of techno influences. And when I say that I mean like synthesizers and a lot of digital influence. And of course we sort of kept an old-school approach, and I think besides everything else musically, we sort of went off in different directions. Axl’s is definitely very digital and very Pro-Tools and very synthesized — whatever sounds are augmented by outside sources.” – SLASH, on Guns N’ Roses Chinese Democracy record

I’m glad Jane asked Slash how he felt about Chinese Democracy. It’s the question I wanted to ask (and tried) and took some knocks from some feeling it wasn’t a fair question to ask Slash.

Roberts, a Toronto native has a long history of interviewing rock stars as he formally worked in music television in Canada during the eighties.

During the interview, Phillips shared memories with Slash of neighborhood restaurants they would frequent as she and Slash grew up in the same LA neighborhood.

It was during the last year’s Canadian Music Week that HoundsTV was first to break the story that Roberts and Phillips, after their respected first marriages ended, had hooked up and become a couple.

Phillips and Roberts are sharp and very experienced interviewers, with JD well versed in rock lore. During the Slash interview, They might have relied too much on Slash’s 2007 autobiography and rehashed stories out of the book. The only problem, Slash did all that on his book tour a few years ago so there was no real big surprises uncovered on the day.

Phillps seemed particularly interested in hearing Slash’s thoughts on Michael Jackson as the pair did work together and were friends. But when Phillips followed up for a third question about Jackson, the interview suddenly had the feel that the anchors was looking to score a good sound bite they could later use on CNN.

The anchor pair also went on too long, and when it came time for audience questions (promised by the hosts at beginning) they just wrapped up the keynote. Some groans in the crowd could be heard.

While Roberts and Phillips are not keeping their relationship a secret from the press anymore – HoundsTV couldn’t help but notice a lovely ring on the engagement finger of Ms. Phillips.

Will the pair have more good news to share soon?


photos courtesy shot7.com

Slash was met at Toronto’s Pearson airport by at least one professional autograph collector (and his helpers) who are on a mission to get a few guitars signed by the original Guns N’ Roses lineup. This particular collector was about the only one to get Axl to sign his guitars a few weeks ago when Guns N’ Roses rolled through Toronto on a Canadian tour.

Slash was more than happy to spend a few minutes and sign for the collectors that greeted his Toronto arrival. His handler politely asked everybody to line-up outside the terminal and Slash added his signature and skull & crossbones sketch to the guitars which already have Axl Rose’s autograph on it.

Next up, IZZY & DUFF. The professional collectors Gn’R journey continues…

MARCH 11th UPDATE: Mission complete on guitars. Slash signed Bryan’s last two guitars after his Canadian Music Week interview. Though, it was not without some difficulties.
photos courtesy shot7.com

Canada’s Hockey Anthems is a brand new audio CD released in Canada during the Olympics and features 22 classic rock and pop hits that are staple songs played at N.H.L. hockey arenas coast-to-coast. Billy Talent, Ramones, KISS, Tragically Hip, Iron Maiden, Iggy Pop, Nickleback, and more are featured on the disc (see CD back below for complete song listing.)

The brand new CD is sealed in plastic with a numbered Olympic holographic sticker.

This special edition CD was produced only for the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and is being distributed just in Canada. It currently sells on Amazon.com for much more than HoundsTV is offering it here for.

ITEM: Limited Edition CD – Canada’s Hockey Anthems – Sounds of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games (Audio CD – 2010 – Available only in Canada)
PRICE: $15.00 CAN + $2.50 (S&H in North America & Europe)

Front of CD (actual package size 5″ x 5.5″)
Back of CD

Contact us for any questions about this item and/or shipping charges outside North America and Europe. Additional Terms & Policies. Satisfaction GUARANTEED.

Here is one of pop cultures finest ever musicals to come to the big screen. A generation fell in love with Grease – and a new generation continues to.

It took one particular HoundsTV autograph collector a while to finish this Grease album – almost 6 years to be exact. After getting John Travolta to sign the album back in 2004 when he was in Toronto to promote a movie, it took longer then expected to catch up to Olivia Newton-John. But the chance finally came in early 2010 when Olivia visited Toronto for a few days to shoot a movie. Thankfully, Olivia was kind enough to sign and complete the album cover.

ITEM: GREASE soundtrack album cover autographed by John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (good condition – shows wear at album edges, includes vinyl records)
PRICE: $129.00 CAN + $15.00 (S&H in North America)
SIGNED: Travolta 2004, Newton-John 2010 in Toronto

Contact us for any questions about this item and/or shipping charges outside North America. Includes Guarantee of Authenticity. Additional Terms & Policies. Satisfaction GUARANTEED.

The stick Sidney Crosby used to score the Gold medal winning overtime goal over Team U.S.A. has gone missing.

After Crosby scored, he ripped off his gloves and threw his stick in the air. As reported by the Toronto Star. “When they cleared the ice, I never got my stick or gloves,” Crosby said after the game.

Now, Hockey Canada is investigating and really wants to see the stick returned. It’s a piece of Hall Of Fame worthy memorabilia now. Investigators are looking through all television and venue video footage in hopes of spotting who could have grabbed the stick from the ice. “We have some leads,” is all Hockey Canada’s Scott Salmond would say.

As for the Sid The Kid’s gloves – one of the gloves was returned to Hockey Canada from a fan who caught it when Crosby threw it OVER the glass.

HoundsTV has discussed this with a few people today and is wondering…

Was the fan not within their rights to keep Crosby’s glove?

Unless their are specific rules stating otherwise, we think the glove is fair game once Crosby threw it over the glass into the crowd. Like a historical home run in baseball.

If Crosby’s stick was snatched from the ice surface or in the locker room – that is clearly theft and his stick should be returned. But a glove thrown over the glass?

The person who got Sid’s glove might be feeling pretty good today about returning it to Hockey Canada. We thinks they needlessly gave up a $25,000 piece of historical memorabilia.

“Of all the things, I got my mouthguard back. I don’t know where (the other equipment) is.” – SIDNEY CROSBY

Thanks to CanadaGraphs for the great photos he snapped all during the Olympics. Be sure to check out the CanadaGraphs blog for his behind-the-scenes stories of hounding the 2010 Winter Games.

photos courtesy CanadaGraphs