The outrageous prankster was left fearing for his life after being told he was suffering from cardiomyopathy, a condition which means "he has a heart of a 90-year-old man".

Despite being told by doctors he would not live beyond the age of 40 unless he got immediate treatment, Steve-O travelled to Amsterdam to ease his mind with cannabis.

He revealed to Britain's Daily Star newspaper: "The dude said I would have a sudden rhythm disorder and keel over unless I had a heart transplant or electrical defibrillator.

"I went straight to Amsterdam and smoked a lot of pot. I didn't drink because I didn't want to f**ck with my heart too much."

To Steve-O's relief another heart specialist discovered upon his return that the condition was not as serious as the initial diagnosis stated.

He said: "My heart's beating fine now."

Reimo Ani reporting from Tallinn (Estonia)
Joshua Matina reporting from Toronto (Canada)
source: www.escestonia.com - photo: oikotimes resources - multimedia: youtube.com

 

Speculations and circulation of names has already started for the Finnish national selection. While last year the 'thriller' in Greece was whether the host country will decided between Anna Vissi and Despina Vandi, a more hard rock version seems to be followed in Finland. The web starts spreading names though. German website chart-king.de, reported that Ville Valo, vocalist of HIM group, is going to be announced as one of the 12 participants. More names from the same website are also given; Apocalyptica and Tarja Turunen, former member of Nightwish. Bravewords.com also reports the names already listed in a Finnish forum poll.

Timo Suomi, Executive Producer of 2007 Eurovision Song Contest who seems to have already decided on the names nominated for the national selection said to Iltalehti newspaper: "These names sound great" leaving more space for speculations. The Finnish broadcaster will announce the 12 participants on November 8th. Each participants, just like last year, will perform two songs in each semifinal, and ultimately they will proceed to the grand final with one of them. The Finnish national final has been set for February 10th and it seems that the host country will again tune in a rock entry. Bidding for a second victory? Highly possible although during the televoting years no host country managed to achieve that, having in mind one country which was desperately to do so!

Ankkarock Festival - He talked to Ville Valo from HIM who wasn't playing the festival because he was celebrating an anniversary with his girl. They talked about how rad it was that Cky made it over to Finland finally, what it would be like to eat a deep fried cock and how Mark Lanegan from Screaming Trees is a vocal influence that makes Ville weap. Ville told a great story about the time he and Bam were hanging in England, staying at the Metropolitan where J.Lo was also staying and they woke up hammered and Ville walked out the main entrance to be greeted by 150 paparazzi and their cameras. Chad chimed in and told a story about the time he hacked Bon Jovi's website and answered a Q&A session posing as Jon and Richie saying that they've been listening to a lot of Cky. Bam and Deron Miller also resolved their would be "feud." Bam called Deron a dick headed asshole and Deron called Bam an arrogant piece of shit.
• Cky "Escape from Hellview"
• Hanoi Rocks "Back in Yer Face"
• Screaming Trees "More Or Less"
• Turbonegro "City of Satan"
• Pestilence "Multiple Beings"
• GG Allin "I Kill Everything I Fuck"

7/31/06 - Bam opened the show by reporting he just watched a homeless guy pleasure himself while eating at a nice restaurant in West Hollywood. Today's show featured Bam's fiancé Missy and Faction DJ Will Pendarvis. Bam talked about how Missy is mad at her ex-best friend Molly because Molly humped Bam back in the day. If you ever wondered what it is like to date Bam Margera this is the show for you. Missy revealed Bam has a rad "package" and is a lot of fun in the sack and her friend Molly shouldn't have done that with Bam. Bam said what happens in a hot tub while drunk, stays in the hot tub. Missy claimed that Molly was aware of how much she loved Bam the entire time and she shouldn't have done that. Bam insisted Missy bury the hatchet and be friends with the girl again. Missy claimed she was going to send her ex-friend a wedding "un-invitation" and Will Pendarvis had to remind her "the opposite of love is not hate, its indifference." They talked about how they got together, how Missy was rocking a hot thong and a massage that went horribly wrong. Bam talked about how two weeks with no sex is too much time away from pussy. He made Missy ditch a wedding she was in as a bride's maid so Bam wouldn't have to jerk off anymore. Missy explained how it was her cousin's wedding and she got kicked out once she said she couldn't make the receptions after the ceremony. Missy's family was not happy about the situation and her little sister had to take her place. All the talk of weddings led to more talk about their upcoming wedding. Bam decided he wanted to dress like Batman and e-mail his friends the week before it happens. Missy said she wanted a "Garden of Eden" type theme to the wedding and Bam said that was cool as long as Missy was naked and eating an apple. Pendarvis stepped in like Barbara Walters and interviewed the happy couple about their life together. They talked about how they met for the first time in the 8th grade, how they got together back when he was filming Haggard, but didn't speak for a couple years after. Missy talked about what her family thought of Bam, how she deals with his fans, and when they are going to get married. Bam chose Fireball Ministry as the last song and dedicated it to Fireball Jim who will be marrying them.
• Priestess "Lay Down"
• Lacrimas Profoundere "Sweet Caroline"
• Taking Back Sunday "Liar (It Takes Two)"
• Fireball Ministry "King"

HF.net: So, how does it feel to be on vacation?

Ville: I haven't had time to be on vacation yet. We've just done a festival, and we were in Romania the weekend before last, after which I flew to a meeting in England, where I spent three days and met some of my friends and the press. I came back to Finland on Friday night and - what day is it? [Monday] and on Wednesday I'm going to Hamburg, for a holiday, though. Anyway, there've been all kinds of hassles, so I haven't had a chance to settle down properly. I also moved a while ago, so I need to take care of things like buying toilet paper, sheets and other basic stuff. And when you haven't done that for a while, it's damn hard (laughs).

HF.net: And you probably want to see family, too...

Ville: You're right. Actually, I haven't seen my mom yet, although I've talked with her on the phone rather a lot. And I'm going to Hamburg with my little brother, to celebrate his birthday.

HF.net: Many people want to know about this "Design the new heartagram" competition. What's it all about, and whose idea was it?

Ville: I don't really know where the idea came from. I believe some person had designed several different heartagrams and people were supposed to choose the best of them, and it would've been used for something. But I thought those heartagrams totally sucked, so I suggested that people rather send in what they want. And I don't know what the prize is.

HF.net: I think it's one of those 'Dark Light' gold record editions. At least that's what it said on the website.

Ville: Sure. I don't use the Internet that much. In America it's a very important medium, and there are competitions and other stuff all the time. I'm not familiar with them, because the band doesn't follow those things - and we're constantly on tour anyway. But the idea was that if someone comes up with something brilliant, it gives us ideas as well. It's creative work after all, and those ideas may be used on the cover of a single or something, and then the guy who created it gets a piece of the fame.

HF.net: You just played a show in Romania, and from what we hear there were people from Warner shooting a live DVD. Is this correct?

Ville: No. We were originally supposed to shoot the DVD there, but we didn't because the location costs and the technical standards weren't up to the standard that we wanted. And there wasn't enough time, either. Sibiu is a fantastic medieval town, but to shoot the DVD there would have required written permission from every house. It was really complicated. Warner is hoping to produce the DVD in a couple of months. I don't know the exact location and time, but sometime around August we're going to film a show and add some other material to that

By the way, there's this system in America these days.. DVDs are sold in normal CD packs, among normal music CDs, so that they come together with the CD. That means that people buy both the record and the DVD - it's just that the price is not that bad, only about $24.90. So they're actually buying both Dark Light and DVD and that means they both turn up on the charts. This is sort of political, and it differs from country to country. The record companies have also calculated that if you have an ordinary DVD case, it sells much less than if the DVD is in an ordinary CD case. People simply don't browse music DVDs. Anyway, Warner probably wants that DVD out by Christmas, so that it would increase our record sales. After all, we're after a gold record and it would be fabulous to be the first Finnish rock band to get one.

added: 03/07/2006

"...it's a pain in the ass"

In a recent interview with HIM frontman Ville Valo, Live Metal.net, the singer admitted that touring in the US was a 'pain in the ass'.

Live-Metal.net: You have had a slow build in the United States. As you have toured the U.S. for the past few years, how has touring changed you?

Ville: "Well, to be brutally frank, touring in the States is a pain in the ass every now and then, because the travel is really, really heavy, especially on this tour. We just flew in from Seattle, tomorrow we are flying to New Orleans, so it is like zig zag, zig zag, zig zag. The distances are so long compared to Europe. Europe is a lot easier. It is like maybe 200 miles a night. You have a bit more time to hang out and sleep better and stuff like that. This is heavy duty traveling all the time. With 'Dark Light' being the first album properly released here, we have been doing some press for it and it's being played on the radio now, thank God. Of course it has changed the vibe. A lot more people know who we are."

Live-Metal.net: What does the future hold for H.I.M. as a band? I have heard that you have contemplated some solo work in the future. Ville: "Well, no, no no. I have a few more PINK FLOYD-ish things that I have been writing in the past, but we will probably incorporate that into H.I.M.'s music, as well. Because at the end of the day when I start writing a song, it always ends up being on our album."

Shooting out from the back of the standing space, a stark blue spotlight lit up the 12-foot tall Heartagram on the banner hanging onstage, which ignited even more shrieks from the clamoring female half of the group's fan base.

Gas Lipstick and Burton Emmerson ventured to their positions along with Mige Amour who trekked his bass to stage left while a blonde, dreadlocked Linde carried his axe to stage right. Once all comfortable in their spots, the onstage band members started playing an ethereal, instrumental intro to hail the arrival of the iconic, world-worshiped front man, Ville Valo.

Valo then signaled the band to begin the high-energy, precisely played and continuously entertaining set.

The Finland natives proved their set diverse, as they touched on songs from several of their six albums. H.I.M. played the bulk of their set from 2004-released "Dark Light," with songs such as "Rip off the Wings of a Butterfly," "Behind the Crimson" and "Under the Rose." The band also reiterated "Razorblade Kiss" and "Right Here In These Arms" from "Razorblade Romance."

As their performance progressed, female fans began tossing their own bras onstage, somehow as to say thank you to Valo for gracing them with his sex appeal. After each bra was thrown, Valo would simply hold it up for the crowd to see and smile, without ceasing his rangeful and highly trained vocal stylings, then drape the undergarment over his microphone stand.

But the bra tossing did not go unrequited, as a progressively drunker Valo returned the favor by throwing the female fans both verbal and gestured sexual innuendos.

The many intoxication-induced high points of the show didn't stop there. After finishing off two cups of beer and the song "Buried Alive by Love," an antsy Valo candidly told the crowd that he needed to exit the stage before they were "buried alive by piss" and ran off; his band mates taking this as a cue to also exit the stage.

And even though the Congo music turned on again, signaling the end of the show, it was soon shut off when all the band members leaped back onto the stage and into position to play an encore.

After the band assembled, Valo gave a speech about the founding fathers of hard rock and how much they influenced H.I.M. The band's idolized founding fathers turned out to be Black Sabbath, of whom H.I.M. then played a cover.

During the song, which was Black Sabbath's infamous anthem of the same name, Valo had the crowd repeat after him the phrase "Black Sabbath saved my life." Valo then finished off the song with a glass-breaking scream and after thanking the crowd again, he and the remaining four reluctantly left the stage, taking time to individually wave and nod to fans.

While they were part grateful to leave the rectangular inferno and part disinclined to leave behind a band so revered, the sweaty, exhausted audience that filed slowly out of the doors couldn't deny the fact that H.I.M.'s first trip to Salt Lake had left them with a greater appreciation for the individuals behind the music; and a greater respect for their bra-stealing magnetism

Ville's New House

Posted by 666_butterfly on 2006.06.29 at 02:52