Classic cover versions don't buy credibility
(6/13/04) Martin Jones The Australian (thanks candy!)

IT was 40 years ago today. The Beatles landed in Melbourne on June 14, 1964 and then played four shows on this very stage. If Justin Timberlake knew this, he didn't show it; in fact he played a Rolling Stones song, Miss You, instead.

The 23-year-old teen-pop idol-turned-R&B superstar is introduced as "all the way from Memphis, Tennessee", reminding us of Elvis, the first southern white pop star to take soul and R&B and sell it to the world, libido and all. And here's Timberlake, with the funkiest band money can buy, following a rendition of the Commodores' Easy with a song by the Rolling Stones, the first white rock band to take soul and R&B to a mass audience. Wow! And I thought I was here just to party to Rock Your Body!

That's the real problem with tonight's concert; Timberlake is not here just to party. With his 13-piece band and these "intimate" smaller venue shows, he clearly wants to make a statement. He saunters on stage determined to earn the one thing he doesn't have (and with Cameron Diaz dancing gleefully side of stage, he appears to have everything) – respect as a credible musician.

"We don't lip sync, we sing," Timberlake announces proudly (you'd hope so for a ticket price of $130). "I don't care what the press says. I don't care what anyone says about anything. I make music from the heart."

Characterised by relentlessly tedious 10-minute jams (does Timberlake honestly think several thousand hysterically screaming teenaged girls care how good is his drummer or guitarist?), the set is book-ended with hits Cry Me A River and Rock Your Body. No encore. In between, Timberlake delivers mostly what he wants, not what we want. And unless you have something astounding up your sleeve, that doesn't make you a credible musician, it makes you self-indulgent and boring.

Timberlake holds court
(6/13/04) Milanda Rout Melbourne Herald-Sun Australia

FROM centre stage to the basketball court, all eyes were on pop superstar Justin Timberlake at the weekend.

The singer gave some primary school students the surprise of their lives on Saturday when he dropped into their basketball training.

Timberlake, who is on tour here with actor and girlfriend Cameron Diaz, squeezed in some ball skills for McDonald's Hoop Time program.

Run in conjunction with Basketball Victoria, the program gives Melbourne schoolchildren a shot at basketball stardom by providing training and a competition.

"The kids thought they were just going to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre for some drills," McDonald's spokeswoman Kristene Mullen said.

"We told them half an hour beforehand and they were very excited. One of the girls even cried when we told her, she was that excited."

Timberlake spent 30 minutes shooting hoops -- much to the delight of the 20 basketballers.

The singer played his final Melbourne show last night at Festival Hall and is heading to Sydney and Brisbane.

Virgin ADLIDAS review
(6/13/04) Virgin.net UK (thanks charlidos!)

JC Chasez - All Day Long I Dream About Sex
As *NSYNC's very own runner-up popstar, JC's race for solo stardom is already off to a faltering start. Mistake number one - a straitjacket bound Chasez adorns the cover of his debut album, entitled Schizophrenic (a foot-in-mouth moment which caused minor uproar amongst mental health awareness groups).
Mistake number two - ADLIDAS is hopelessly stuck in 1991, when Color Me Badd's I Wanna Sex You Up was capable of raising an eyebrow or two and spacey synth-pop was only just beginning to slide off the cutting edge. On the positive side of things, the jangly guitar riff is catchy enough to encourage repeated listenings, and a brief instrumental break revives the song with some hip-swivelling funkiness. But ultimately this feels as cheap and uncomfortable as polyester underpants.

Manchester Online ADLIDAS review
(6/13/04) Gary Ryan Manchester Online UK (thanks Eva!)

ANTHEMIC electro-stomper that sounds like The Bloodhound Gang’s The Bad Touch crossed with Atomizer’s Hooked On Radiation as performed by Pete Burns. In other words, beyond fantastic.

JC-Not-Justin has created the pop record of the year thus far - yes, it’s THAT good.

But it will probably sell two copies in this country - one of which will be returned.

Needling Fatone
(6/13/04) Scott Maxwel Orlando Sentinel

Joey Fatone, fresh off lots of good ink for his upcoming Broadway role in Little Shop of Horrors, is now making the gossip rounds for something a little less savory -- an inner-lip tattoo.

Yes, everyone from the Las Vegas Review-Journal to the upcoming Star magazine is fascinated by the way the Orlando 'N Sync-er's decided to honor his fiancée, Kelly, at his recent bachelor-party weekend in Vegas -- her name inked inside his lip.

But Taking Names has the skinny from someone who was there: his dad.

"Joey never flinched," said father, Joe, who lives in south Orange County. "And 30 seconds later, he was having a soft drink and a slice of pepperoni pizza."

OK. But why his inner lip?

"It was sort of like those mountain climbers," said father Fatone with a laugh. "He said: Because it was there."