(thanks to Ilyk for the news)

Portugal has signed on to WP1 and its May 17, 2008 global concert broadcast in Lisbon.

The event location, security, police, medical staff, stage, sound, lights, event production and tickets sales are being provided. Concessions, merchandise and local fundraising campaigns will also be included.

The country of Portugal has taken a leading role in supporting WP1 and its Ten-Year Global Peace Initiative. In Lisbon, Portugal’s Capital City, localofficials, business leaders and Peace activists are offering to host WP1’s First Annual Global Peace Symposium, sometime in the summer of 2008. As a gesture toward Peaceful Diplomacy and National Security, Portugal’s Government and several large corporations are committing financing for the May 17th WP1 concert event.

Top Portuguese Artists will share the stage with top International Artists.

In terms of International Artists, the Portuguese wish-list includes any of the following: Madonna, U2, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Genesis, Robbie Williams, Justin Timberlake, Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Rihanna, Jessica Simpson, Mary J. Blidge, Foo Figthers, Metallica, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Led Zeppelin, RATM, Linkin Park, Coldplay, Radiohead, Muse, Silverchair, Audioslave, Velvet Revolver, the Spice Girls, Take That, Tokio Hotel, Pink, Cristina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne, Pearl Jam, Gentleman and Jack Johnson. Invitees are being asked to perform four songs each.

For more information on WorldPeaceOne, click here.

As Contact Music reported, here’s one more thing Chad Smith said regarding the current RHCP hiatus and, well, it’s up to you to count when they will be coming back to work.

“We took a look at each other in September (07) and we were like, ‘You know what? I love you guys, but we all kind of need a break,’ and we all said, ‘Let’s reconvene in one year.’”

As reported by ultimage-guitar.com, via s-a.com:

Chad Smith gave a couple of short interviews at this year’s MusicaRes event, prior to the anual Grammy awards and the one that got the most attention was surely the one about Red Hot Chili Peppers’ further plans; which definitely leaves us an open dor to speculate about the 10th album.

Mr. Smith was quotted saying:

“We’re just taking a little hiatus, just relaxing. We toured a lot in the last year and a half, so it’s family time, and then we’ll recharge and get together sometime this year and make some more music.”

Here’s a little video clip of it, courtesy of Artisan News.

You can read the whole article here, but prepare for bad grammar, wrong data on awards the band won and similar things.

Robert Francis
A tango/thrash musician Robert Francis is becoming more and more popular in the Los Angeles area and he’s giving free shows at Silverlake Lounge every monday. And why is that interesting? Here’s a quote from a couple of sources to answer that question:

His upbringing is another — family friend Ry Cooder gave him his first guitar; John Frusciante gave him lessons; he remembers stealing onstage at age 8 with Harry Dean Stanton and band at the Mint; his sister Juliette Commagere fronts the L.A. band Hello Stranger.

This sure makes Mr. Francis a recommendation, you can hear some of his music here.

Snow ((Hey Oh)) as a wrestling theme song?!
WWE revealed this year’s theme song for WrestleMania 24 during a video hype package promoting the event…and, believe it or not, it’s RHCP’s Snow ((Hey Oh)).
(from Pro Wrestling)

Taylor Dayne covers Under The Bridge on her new album
Do you guys, older than 20, remember Taylor Dayne? She was singing the worldwide hit Tell It To My Heart in the 80s. Now she’s back and she covered Under The Bridge, on piano. If you’re interested in the song, click here to obtain it and this little review should tell you what it is about:

The most talked-about cover, however, will probably be Dayne’s rendition of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1991 mega-hit “Under the Bridge”. While the original had a greater impact in that the poignant lyrics were a bit more personal to Anthony Kiedis (not to mention that the mention of “the City of Angels” seems a bit odd to hear from someone hailing from New York, as well as Dayne trying to embrace the whole heroin addict tone of the original), Dayne’s rendition is still pretty good in its own right, with John Frusciante’s guitar chords replaced by a more stripped-down piano-led backdrop. Yes, there is a choir at the end of this one, too, though its not quite the same, but Dayne does manage to hit some really incredible notes in the last minute of the track, showing that she’s not merely covering the track just to cover it. But needless to say, it’s pretty tough to try and cover one of the greatest singles of an entire generation and proceed to come out unscathed.

Now all that’s there to see is if she’ll get more praise than All Saints or, just like them, be trashed and bashed by RHCP aficionados worldwide.

As it was announced here, all RHCP fanclub members who had filled in their profile and who are, I guess, likeable enough by the staff, have a chance of becoming fans of the week as it’s been a practice for a while, but also a top friend on the band’s MySpace page. So, if you’re interested and are a fanclub member, go on and fill your profile, maybe they’ll select you!

As per Showbizspy:

Music legend Robert Plant (of Led Zeppelin fame) doesn’t take kindly to new music - and isn’t scared to make his feelings known. The aging rock veteran, 59, was heard rubbishing critically acclaimed rock acts Radiohead and the Red Hot Chili Peppers - and then demanded to hear Captain Beefheart instead. A source said: “He was drinking with a woman and didn’t like the choice of tunes playing.

“Radiohead was on and he started complaining. He said, ‘What’s this rhyming c**p?’

“The staff were obviously keen to please him so they changed the music. They put on the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who they thought might be more up his street. But he didn’t like their stuff either and said it was like a ‘nursery rhyme.’ He then said he wanted to listen to Captain Beefheart.”

When Zeppelin reunited at London’s O2 arena last year, it won them a whole generation of new fans - but it seems Plant doesn’t have much time for modern-day music heroes. The source added to British newspaper The Sun: “Radiohead and the Chilis are two of the biggest and best groups in the world. But it seems they don’t compare to Beefheart in Plant’s mind.”

Captain Beefheart’s best-known album was 1969’s Trout Mask Replica, considered a “masterpiece” by fans.

According to The Daily Journal RHCP could be the headlining band for the Vineland festival that would be held in Vineland, New Jersey, USA; following the pattern of UK’s famous Reading Festival.

Melvin Benn, a London-based promoter, announced plans for the festival alongside Mayor Perry Barse during a press conference at City Hall on Tuesday afternoon. The funk-rock superstars could be on the lineup at a three-day outdoor music festival to be held in the city Aug. 8 to 10.

Benn said the festival will be modeled on the annual Reading Festival in Reading, England, which he has helped organize since 1989. ast headliners at the Reading Festival include Radiohead, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the White Stripes and Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

The Vineland Festival will be held on a 570-acre farm near the intersection of Sherman Avenue and Hance Bridge Road. Concertgoers will be able to camp at the site, Benn said. Eighty to 100 acts from various genres will perform throughout the festival, he said. A full lineup will be announced and tickets will go on sale in March, according to Benn.

UPDATE: KYW1060 also reported this.

For one weekend in August next year, Vineland, NJ will become the Rock Capital of the World. A major Lollapalooza-style event is on tap, beginning August 8th, 2008.

Organizers first pitched the idea for Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, but when the park commission could not come to terms (see related story), a 500-acre site in southeast Vineland was chosen to host the event.

Vineland mayor Perry Barse believes the rock festival will be a win-win for his city:

“It’s going to promote our name recognition tremendously, both nationally and internationally. It will generate what we estimate to be millions of dollars in advertising and promotion that obviously we could never afford as a municipality.”

While the lineup has not been announced, the promoters have been known to attract such groups as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Metallica.