Tag: Zappanale

When Rock Legend Widows Litigate

In November, the plaintiffs demanded that the organizers of the Zappanale be forced to pay a €250,000 penalty or be sent to jail for two years should the festival or the related “Arf-Society” refuse to comply.

Gail Zappa

Cut to the present:

The two sides now have some six weeks to come up with an out-of-court settlement. And the Zappa Family Trust may be willing to compromise. ZFT lawyers now say that the Zappanale can use the Zappa name if they brand the festival as “Zappa music and more.“

Zappa music — and more! Them lawyers sure know how to win a case. Our credit card spending at work, ladies and gentlemen.

I’ll just let Der Spiegel do the talking.

To loosely quote Woody Allen though, if I may: “If you need me, I’ll be in the back having an anger attack.”

Interview With Jimmy Carl Black

A few months back Just a week ago, Andrew Greenaway did an interview with Jimmy Carl Black. Despite health problems, Jimmy’s in good spirits, performing with The Muffin Men and recording with various other artists across Europe. Just one project he’s worked on:

The CD is called The Jimmy Carl Black Story. It is due out anytime. I basically went into the studio one night and told my life story. It took me about one and a half hours to do it. He [Jon Larsen – ed.] then used some blues players from Oslo and also some of the guys from the Strange News CD for the background music.

Jimmy won’t make it to Zappanale this year, but has already set his mind on next year’s edition. Which is cool, since Sharl and I won’t be able to make it there either this year, for reasons that we may well expound upon at a later date. Read the whole article here.

Today’s Headline: ZFT vs Arf Society

Der Spiegel, on the day of the ZFT vs Arf Society/Zappanale trial:
Mother Of Intervention: Zappa Festival Defends Itself from… Zappa.

Quoth Goil Zeepee:

“One of the reasons you file a trademark is to protect the works of a person,” Gail Zappa told SPIEGEL ONLINE in a telephone interview. “I felt we were getting into territory where we were putting the audience at risk in terms of who Frank was. You become concerned.”

Thomas Dippel:

Dippel says that the Zappanale has long tried to get the kind of official rubber stamp that Gail Zappa insists is available. He claims that letters have been sent and that Zappanale people even met with Gail in Amsterdam at the beginning of the 1990s. He also says that he invited the Zappa family — including Gail, Dweezil and Moon — to an unveiling of a Zappa statue that now graces Bad Doberan.

Gail — who refers to the statue as an “impish creature” that “doesn’t look like Frank Zappa unless you argue that putting a moustache on any face looks like Frank Zappa” — says that very little communication has taken place with the Zappanale.

I guess you know where our sympathies lie, right?

Zappanale #19: The Line-Up

Thomas, aka Head Honcho of Zappanale, just confirmed the following bands for this year’s edition:

  • Anti Agressive Action Band aka “Underground Sensation”, USA, feat. members of Voice of Cheeze, Ugly Radio Rebellion Band, DOOT
  • Low Budget Research Kitchen, Portugal
  • Wrong Object, Belgium
  • Finnish Zappa Tribute Band, Finnland
  • Paul Green School of Rock plays Zappa and YES, USA
  • Electric Orange, Germany
  • Panzerballett, Germany
  • Delicious Band Research Kitchen, France
  • INDUKTI, Poland
  • Alamaailman Vasarat, Finnland
  • Zappa Circus, Hungary
  • UZVA, Finnland
  • Jazzproject Hundehagen, Germany
  • Fattore Zeta, Italy
  • Bogus Pomp Semi Acoustic Orchestra, USA

Special guests:

  • Denny Walley
  • Napoleon Murphy Brock
  • Stanley Jason Zappa

Muchos kudos to Thomas for gathering such an eclectic slash exquisite mix of bands — especially in view of the upcoming ZFT vs Zappanale trial (April 9).

We’re with you bud. Music Is The Best.

To Protect And Serve

With Zappanale #19 right around the corner this August, I figured people will need some appropriate apparel.

Say for instance, a long sleeve T-shirt (click image for details):

stop-gail-cafepress.jpg

… or how about a nice trucker hat (click image for details):

stop-gail-hat.jpg

Now, we have no idea who this Gail person is, but it just sort of sounded right in a mysterious way — and the “to protect and serve” only makes it more intriguing…

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