Call it an identity crisis. First came Marilyn Manson's transformation from Satan's whipping boy to unisex albino glam alien. Now, he seems hell-bent on reaffirming his hell-raiser status. Or is he? According to the New York Post, Manson and his group caused an estimated $25,000 damage to their dressing rooms at the Poughkeepsie Civic Center and four rooms in a Sheraton hotel this weekend. Manson mananger Tony Ciulla, however, disputes the dollar amount. "Once again, when it comes to Marilyn Manson, the media have taken a story and given it a life of its own. The reality was, there was damage to a phone. The total damage they were charged for was under $1,000, and that was inflated hotel prices." Ciulla didn't have a figure for the dressing room damage, but stressed the reported damage there was exaggerated, too. Neither the hotel or the Civic Center management could be reached by press time...

The Ska world has bid farewell to another longtime member -- Roland Alphonso. The sixty-seven-year-old tenor saxophonist for the Skatalites died Friday, Nov. 20 after slipping into a four-day long coma brought on by a seizure. Alphonso initially collapsed onstage on Nov. 2 at the Key Club in West Hollywood. He was listed in critical condition at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he died early Friday morning. Friends, family and fans can pay their respects to Alphonso this Friday during a viewing and memorial service at Trinity Methodist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y. Alphonso will be laid to rest on Saturday at the Evergreen Cemetery in Brooklyn. Condolences should be directed to David Lane & Floyd Gilmour Funeral Services, One Remsen Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11212 . . .

Hippie chicks with natty dreads and grubby extremities -- there's a million of 'em, right? Perhaps, but that hasn't stopped the publicity camp representing Latin pop singer Shakira from raising a fuss over Alanis Morissette's recent cover for Rolling Stone, according to the New York Post. See, not only is Alanis sporting the same dreads-n-ribbons 'do that Shakira wears on the cover of her latest album, she's also showing a very dirty foot -- much like Shakira's muddy hands on the same album cover. And both singers shared the same hair stylist. The name of Shakira's album? Donde Estan Los Ladrones ("Where are the thieves?"). Isn't that ironic? Don'cha think? (Claiming no direct knowledge of the matter, Morissette's publicist Mitch Schneider had no comment.). . .
They say it's your birthday. To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Beatles' White Album (released Nov. 21, 1968), Capitol Records will issue a limited edition (half-million copies) of the double-disc on Tuesday, Nov. 24. There are no bonus tracks or re-mastering to speak of, but the individually numbered collectible comes in a miniature gatefold sleeve in a clear plastic slipcase. The package also features reproductions of all of the original artwork -- poster, lyrics and four glossy Beatles photos (shrunken to mini-postcard size). . .

That's how the tale ends. Storyville have decided to call it quits. The Austin, Texas-based quintet has cited the age-old "artistic differences" as the reason for the split. Band manager Mark Proct said the group broke up under amicable terms and wouldn't rule out the possibility of the guys working together in the future. For now, however, die-hard fans only have four more "rare" chances to catch the blues-rock outfit before they ride off into the sunset. The band will play two shows in Austin (Nov. 28 and Dec. 31), one in Fort Worth (Dec. 28) and their farewell gig on Jan. 2 in Houston at the Aerial Theater. Bring your own Kleenex . . .

The RSN Staff
(November 24, 1998)