Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal post on Twitter

yes gwen come over and write songs!! tony
9 minutes ago from web

tony wanna write some songs today? gwen.
hard to work out with out mike heatlie - mikey move to LA now!! its time- www.mikeheatlie.com

morning!!

time to write songs getting excited for fashion week

check out http://things-we-heart.blog ... those girls r cool -gwen
5 minutes ago from web

Gwen Stefani Covers Glamour Magazine

Gwen Stefani has been topping the charts since No Doubt’s release of Tragic Kingdom back in 1995. Since then she has had a successful solo career and has launched two fashion labels as well as a fragrance line.

In 2002 she married former Bush front man Gavin Rossdale and the couple have since added two boys to their family: 3-year-old Kingston James McGregor and Zuma Nesta Rock who just celebrated his 1st birthday on August 21.

The 39-year-old iconic rock star recently sat down with Glamour magazine to discuss her style, the No Doubt reunion tour and life as a mother.

On her original style: “The whole Tragic Kingdom thing started with Disneyland, which I grew up near. I loved everything from Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music to Bob Marley to ska bands. A little bit English, a little bit rock.”

On her feelings about the reunion tour: “It’s very emotional. I feel like I’m going to wake up sometime soon from this weird journey.”

On how different her family life is from when she was growing up: “I grew up in a normal family. I have sweet parents, who are still married. They’re watching my child right now. But my life is so different from how I thought it would be. Yesterday was the craziest day ever—I managed to accomplish so many things. And at the end of the night, I was there with [Kingston] putting him to bed, reading all his books, getting his diaper on and putting him in his crib. Then I got [Zuma], nursed him, put him to sleep. Then I went to a Hollywood party! [Laughs.] It is extremely different from how my parents raised me.”

On what surprises her most about being a mother: “How hard it is. I’ve always worked really hard, and the hardest thing I’ve ever done is have kids!”

On how she feels about her children following in her footsteps: “Well, Kingston walked into a room the other day with a guitar, singing his song. I was thinking, Oh my God. [Laughs.] But whatever. Everything that we were passionate about, my parents supported it. But they always made it really clear that those kinds of things, those dreams, never come true. And then you have your backup plan. You go to school. That was the way I was taught—[making it big] doesn’t happen to people. And then it did.”

On husband Gavin as a father: “I always thought he’d be a good dad. [Laughs.] And he has basically lived up to that and beyond, beyond. He’s very, very passionate, and he’s very intense. He’s made to be a dad. I’m very lucky.”

Check out the source-celebritybabyscoop.com

Gwen Stefani Takes You Shopping

Like any good girlfriend, Gwen Stefani spills her secret style resources, her favorite chic cheapies and what she loves about her new Harajuku Lovers fragrance collection. She even hangs with GLAMOUR to talk about the husband and kids. Listen in—she’s as cool as she looks.
August 31, 2009 by Josh PatnerOh,

She’s like living pop art—against the white walls of the studio where Glamour’s cover shoot is under way, Gwen Stefani’s famous red lips, heavy black lashes and platinum hair stand out vividly. In fact, her style is so iconic, so crafted, so utterly Gwen Stefani that when she says hello and shakes my hand, I’m almost surprised she’s an actual talking, smiling person. I’m definitely surprised to realize that behind her twisted pinup-girl look, this rock star (married to another rock star, former Bush front man Gavin Rossdale) is kind of shy. Later, as she quietly breast-feeds her son Zuma, now one (she’s also mom to son Kingston, three), it’s hard to imagine her electrifying stadiums filled with screaming fans on the band No Doubt’s first tour in five years.

But electrify she does. Developing that front-woman persona didn’t come easily to the singer. As a teenager in Southern California, Stefani was too absorbed with her high school boyfriend to think that the songs she wrote just for herself would one day make her a superstar. And even when she became the singer for No Doubt in 1987, she still thought of it as her brother’s band. But when the group hit it big in 1995 with the release of Tragic Kingdom, Stefani’s talents were too big to downplay. Between her work with No Doubt and her solo career (launched in 2004 with her platinum album Love. Angel. Music. Baby.), the blond powerhouse has sold millions of albums. And on top of that music career, she now runs two wildly successful fashion lines: L.A.M.B., the five-year-old high-end label, and Harajuku Lovers, her Japanese-inspired clothing and fragrance line. They ring up a combined profit of more than $200 million annually. Yeow—that’s a lot for anyone to manage, especially someone as naturally California laid-back as Stefani.

The No Doubt reunion tour has Stefani, 40, wondering how long the ride can last. “It’s very emotional,” she says. “I feel like I’m going to wake up sometime soon from this weird journey.” Sorry, Gwen, not likely. Keep reading to see what else Stefani has to say about style, shopping, moguldom, motherhood and her long road to success.

GLAMOUR: I’ve been spending a few weeks learning about the Gwen Stefani universe of fashion and style and music. They’re all one.

GWEN STEFANI: It all comes from the same place. I remember back when No Doubt was just starting out: We didn’t have a record out, and I was in school. I would spend my time daydreaming about what I was going to make for my costumes. That’s something I’ve always done. As soon as I knew we had a show, I’d be off to the fabric store. And I’d be really excited. It’s just something I’ve always, always done.

GLAMOUR: You have such original style. Where did it come from?

GS: The whole Tragic Kingdom thing started with Disneyland, which I grew up near. I loved everything from Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music to Bob Marley to ska bands. A little bit English, a little bit rock.

GLAMOUR: But your glossy hair and the red lips—that’s not ska to me.

GS: No. That’s my whole obsession with old Hollywood. I always loved watching all those old movies, and still do—if I had time.

GLAMOUR: Who is your favorite designer?

GS: I love Vivienne Westwood. So much. Every time I go to London, first thing I do is go in there. It’s ridiculous! She just knows—her line always evolves. It’s the same and yet always different. I also love John Galliano. I like the mixture of his kookiness and the straight-up craft.

GLAMOUR: And now you’ve got a huge fashion company. Is that your backup plan?

GS: Yes. Because I know that I need to feel passionate and be creative to have a feeling of self-worth. So when the music part goes away, I want to be able to still feel the power I feel when I write songs. If I didn’t have that, I don’t really know how I would survive, because I’m so addicted to that feeling.

GLAMOUR: What do you think has made L.A.M.B. so successful?

GS: I’m still so blown away that we’ve gotten this far. When I first started, I really didn’t know what I was doing at all. I mean, I’ve made clothes my whole life, but I was just naive about the fashion world. But I think it’s [successful] because I’ve been really involved, you know? Picking the samples, inspirations, color palette. I have a great team of people helping me.

GLAMOUR: You’ve said that you grew up in a really close family. How has that strong bond influenced you?

GS: I grew up in a normal family. I have sweet parents, who are still married. They’re watching my child right now. But my life is so different from how I thought it would be. Yesterday was the craziest day ever—I managed to accomplish so many things. And at the end of the night, I was there with [Kingston] putting him to bed, reading all his books, getting his diaper on and putting him in his crib. Then I got [Zuma], nursed him, put him to sleep. Then I went to a Hollywood party! [Laughs.] It is extremely different from how my parents raised me.

GLAMOUR: What surprises you most about yourself as a mother?

GS: How hard it is. I’ve always worked really hard, and the hardest thing I’ve ever done is have kids!

GLAMOUR: But hard how? Hard to be an example?

GS: All of it—everything from getting up in the morning to trying to be consistent to trying to have the right feelings. But, of course, the rewards are so great.

GLAMOUR: So when Zuma comes home and tells you he’s going to be the drummer in a band, what are you going to say?

GS: Well, Kingston walked into a room the other day with a guitar, singing his song. I was thinking, Oh my God. [Laughs.] But whatever. Everything that we were passionate about, my parents supported it. But they always made it really clear that those kinds of things, those dreams, never come true. And then you have your backup plan. You go to school. That was the way I was taught—[making it big] doesn’t happen to people. And then it did.

GLAMOUR: I’ll say.

GS: It’s awesome! And then I bought my parents a house. So that’s rad.

GLAMOUR: But was [the success] ever scary? Did you feel like it was a train coming at you?

GS: No. Even when we were getting commercially successful, it was very slow to build. We got on the radio after nine years of being a band. And once you’re on the road for a long time, you’re in a whole other bubble. One moment I always think about is when I came home from the first tour and I was still living with my parents. I was gone for two and a half years on this tour.

GLAMOUR: How old were you?

GS: Twenty-six.

GLAMOUR: Wow.

GS: And I know it’s weird to live at my parents’ when I was 26, but…

GLAMOUR: No, it’s weird that you were on the road for two and a half years!

GS: Well, that was weird too. But yeah, I came home, and I remember walking in the house, and the entire dining room table was filled with layers and layers and layers of things for me to autograph that people had given to my parents. I was like, “What am I supposed to do with all this?”

GLAMOUR: Inundated.

GS: My poor parents—they didn’t know what to do. And then I went into my bedroom with my single bed. I remember getting under my covers…thinking, Oh my God, who am I?

GLAMOUR: And now you’re a married lady with two kids! What do you see in Gavin as a father that you didn’t know about before?

GS: I always thought he’d be a good dad. [Laughs.] And he has basically lived up to that and beyond, beyond. He’s very, very passionate, and he’s very intense. He’s made to be a dad. I’m very lucky.

GLAMOUR: I know this is a really crass question, but I have to ask. Your husband has a great career, but you are more famous. Is it hard on a marriage when a woman is more visible than a man professionally?


GS: I don’t really like talking about Gavin because, why would I do that? It’s the one place you need to really protect yourself: your family and your marriage.

GLAMOUR: Let’s talk about writing music. Are you writing now?

GS: No, I can’t do all these things at one time. Right now it’s all focused on the tour, the costumes, the fun part. I won’t write on tour. There’s no way. How am I supposed to be a mom to two kids, a wife and do a show every night? It’s impossible!

GLAMOUR: You’ve spoken a lot about how you found your singing voice and your own voice as a person at the same time. There’s something lovely about it. I was curious about that experience.

GS: I clearly remember writing songs [when I was young] and the power that it gave me of feeling like somebody. My whole life changed when I wrote those songs, even before anyone ever heard them. It wasn’t a commercial thing.

GLAMOUR: No, it was just you.

GS: It was just me and the song and showing them to my dad and him listening to the demo while driving. He’d come home and say, “Now, that one was really good. You shouldn’t change anything.”

GLAMOUR: Does writing still empower you like it did when you were a kid?

GS: Oh my God. I mean, it’s really exciting to design, but writing a song is…

GLAMOUR: There’s nothing like it?

GS: If it’s a hit, oh my God. And you know right away. Like when I wrote “Hollaback Girl” at 3:00 A.M. after writing three songs already. We were jumping on the couch!

GLAMOUR: What’s it like being with the band again?

GS: There’s a lot of water under the bridge. And it’s very emotional. I went out last night to a party with Tony [Kanal, the No Doubt bass player and Stefani’s former boyfriend] and his girlfriend and with, you know, the guys. There’s just so much that we’ve done.

GLAMOUR: Twenty years of being a band. How did that happen?

GS: I don’t know. You tell me. I feel like I’m going to wake up sometime soon from this weird journey. I mean, honestly, there’s no way this happened to me! [Laughs.]

GLAMOUR: Look, you’re a huge star. You’re arguably one of the biggest female stars on the planet. But we never read about Gwen Stefani being a drug addict or getting arrested or falling down a staircase.

GS: Maybe my crazy time is coming up. Let’s see what happens. Maybe I’m just a late bloomer. But I think it’s also just my nature. I was thinking today when I was driving, How am I going to make sure that Kingston never does anything bad and doesn’t get arrested? I was thinking, How did I stay out of trouble? And I know it’s just ‘cause my parents are so strict. I mean, I’m still scared of them. [Laughs.]


GLAMOUR: Drawing from your own experience, what advice would you give to young women who are struggling to find their voice in the world?

GS: I’ve never been good at giving advice. The only advice I ever gave people was to find something that you are passionate about. But I hate giving advice, because, who am I? I’m just a girl. I was like anybody else. Do you think that I ever thought I would be doing this right now? No! Never, never, never, never.

Sweater, McQ by Alexander McQueen; her own tank, A.L.C.; her own earrings, Andrea Lieberman; ring, Stephen Webster.

Dress, Dolce & Gabbana; necklace, Lydell NYC; her own earrings, Andrea Lieberman.

Blazer, shoes, L.A.M.B.; shirt, Hilfiger Denim; jeans, Siwy Denim; tie, Tommy Hilfiger; necklace, Portia Jewelry; suspenders (on cart), Dsquared2.

Sweater, Alexander McQueen; pants, tote bag, Harajuku Lovers; earrings (worn throughout), Andrea Lieberman; booties, Phi.

Jacket, bag, L.A.M.B.; T-shirt, Primp; pants, Moncler.

T-shirt, Harajuku Lovers; pants, shoes, L.A.M.B.; belt, Toneka.
Check out the source for more -glamour.com/magazine

Gwen Stefani & Zuma Out And About In Pasadena

Gwen Stefani Arriving At A Friend's Home In Pasadena
After some family fun at the beach yesterday, Gwen Stefani and her youngest son Zuma, 1, were spotted on their way to visit friends in Malibu this afternoon. He is such a cutie!

As always, Zuma's rock star mom was showing off her signature cool style - what do you think of today's funky look?

Gwen and her husband Gavin Rossdale are also parents to 3-year-old son Kingston.
Check out the source for more-www.celebritybabyscoop.com

Gwen Stefani and her husband Gavin Rossdale take their sons Kingston and Zuma to the beach in Malibu, CA.

No Doubt to Perform in Singapore at F1 Rocks

No Doubt to Perform in Singapore at F1 Rocks
Posted by nodoubt on 8/28/2009 Comments (0)

No Doubt has added a show in Singapore! The band will be headlining the second night of F1 Rocks on September 25th. Other performers over the three day festival include Beyonce, ZZ Top, N*E*R*D, the Black Eyed Peas and Simple Minds. The performance will also include a televised segment that will air in over 80 countries. For more information, visit the F1 Rocks website or click here to buy tickets.

NO DOUBT FOR SINGAPORE
27th August 2009

No Doubt have just been announced as another top headliner for Friday night at F1 ROCKS™ Singapore with LG.

The California based band will be playing their first live show outside of the US in over seven years, when they join ZZ Top, Simple Minds and N*E*R*D on the second night of this Grand Prix endorsed series of concerts.

No Doubt are back on the road having reformed in 2008 following a four year break. This self-imposed hiatus saw frontwoman Gwen Stefani launch a hugely successful, Grammy Award winning solo career as well as finding time to give birth to two children.

Marking the band’s first outdoor show in Singapore ever, No Doubt seemingly can’t wait to return to the city state.

“Playing in South East Asia has always been a great experience for us,” said bassist Tony Kanal.

“So when the opportunity to be a part of the F1 ROCKS™ Singapore event came up, we knew it was time for us to return. This has already been an incredible year of touring for our band and we’re excited to keep it going by reconnecting with our amazing fans in Singapore.”

We have No Doubt that this will be one of the biggest and best concerts ever staged in Singapore. We hope to see you there.

Adrian Young Twitter Post

A huge thanks to Sean, Walter and everybody at the Slidebar in Fullerton! We can always count on having a great time there! Adrian
2 minutes ago from web

Last night we celebrated my bday at the Slidebar in Fullerton & I'm thankful to all my family and friends who came! We had a blast!
6 minutes ago from web

Tony posts a thank you to the fans on the ND forum

Thanks to everyone for my birthday wishes! And thanks again for making our summer tour unforgettable...I can't wait to do it again! Tony


check it out on the Forum > Tony kanal - Thank You!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY KANAL

CHECK OUT THE FANS MESSAGES> Happy bday TONY !!!!

Check out fans Birthday card posts on the forum-
Tony and Adrian's Birthday E-Card!!! **PIC HEAVY**


•°o.O•°o.O Tony Appreciation Thread •°o.O•°o.O

The True Sexiest Thread EVER! The Tony Kanal Picture Thread!

Gwen Stefani Twitter posts

fun to see everyone at gavins show last night at the grove- thanks for coming out =gwen x
11 minutes ago from web

tony kanal happy birthday! what an amazing life we have had so far :) wonder what will happen next?! have a fun day with your sexy girl gwen
12 minutes ago from web

TOM DUMONT TWITTER POST

Ps: Gavin and band rocked tonight. Fire! -tom
19 minutes ago from Tweetie

At the Slidebar for Adrians birthday hang! Adrian thanks everyone for all the great birthday acknowledgements! Good times for all! -Tom
25 minutes ago from Tweetie

Tom and Ace Dumont watch Gwen Stefanis husband Gavin Rossdale perform during the Donate Life Concert Series at The Grove

Gwen Stefani and Kids Rock Out to Daddy Gavin Rossdale

Say cheese! Kingston James McGregor Rossdale, 3, smiles wide while giving mom Gwen Stefani a squeeze on Wednesday night at the Grove. Dad Gavin Rossdale was performing a free concert for Donate Life that brought the whole family — and Gwen’s No Doubt bandmates — out for the night.

Both Kingston and baby brother Zuma Nesta Rock, 1, were pint-size members of dad’s PR team — the boys wore t-shirts promoting Gavin’s latest album, Wanderlust.

Zuma with his nanny

Check out the source -celebrity-babies.com

Gwen Stefani watches husband Gavin Rossdale perform during the Donate Life Concert Series at The Grove

Gwen Stefani watches husband singer Gavin Rossdale perform during the Donate Life Concert Series at The Grove on August 26, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.

Check out fan posts on the forum-No Doubt is at Gavin's free show at The Grove tonight!!!

Gwen Stefani Cheers on Gavin at The Grove

We’re used to seeing her on stage as the center of attention, but last night (August 26) Gwen Stefani was spotted as part of the audience.

The “Hella Good” songstress was all smiles as she arrived to see her husband Gavin Rossdale perform at the Grove Summer Concert Series in Los Angeles.


And of course, sons Kingston and Zuma Rossdale were also in attendance thanks to the help of a couple of nannies.

Just a few days earlier (August 21) Gwen & Co. celebrated little Zuma’s all-important first birthday. Of the party, Gavin told press, “I got home from the studio and was cooking burgers at 3 a.m. this morning to prepare for the party. I’m the chef, and Gwen’s more of the party planner. She takes care of the presents and the guests. I just love to cook for everyone.”




Check out the source for more-www.celebrity-gossip.net

Check out the source-VIDEO

Gwen Stefani post on ND Twitter

danillo is at my house+ wow do i love that guy - its all about hair do's!! see you all tonight gwenxx free concerts r fun!
about 7 hours ago from web

Gwen Stefani post on ND Twitter

nodoubthappy B-day Adrian Young =the hottest and stinkiest drummer ever! love gwen-xoxoxo don't get too waisted :) or do it's your BIRTHDAY!!!!
2 minutes ago from web

oh this tweet thing is addictive- i keep forgetting to sign my name- so u know its me gwen
2 minutes

saw the new lamb collection by the way= so hot = best yet = going to fashion week NY- gonna be sick!
3 minutes ago from web

work out then some kelly wearstler this afternoon=yum she's so hot gonna get it on at the grove tonight
4 minutes ago from web

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADRIAN YOUNG

HAPPY 40th BDAY ADRIAN !-Check out the fans Happy Birthday posts

Check out fans Birthday card posts on the forum-
Tony and Adrian's Birthday E-Card!!! **PIC HEAVY**

Check out fan posts on the forum-
The Adrian Young Picture Thread aka THE SEXIEST THREAD EVER!

Gwen Stefani post on ND Twitter-Gavin playing a free concert tomorrow night at the Grove

Gavin playing a free concert tomorrow night at the Grove in LA 8:00

see you there!! kiss- Gwen Renee Stefani

Gwen Stefani post on ND Twitter

i'm tweeting like crazy = who knew it was so fun- gwen
about 9 hours ago from web

wanna write a song?? gwen
about 9 hours ago from web

talking to tony on the phone
about 9 hours ago from web

Gavin playing a free concert tomorrow night at the Grove in LA 8:00 see you there!! kiss- Gwen Renee Stefani
about 11 hours ago from web

hey u's home from tour - thank you for the time of our lives- you were amazing- still cant believe you r real THANK-U kisses gwen xx
about 12 hours ago from web

Tom Dumont post on ND Twitter

Going to see Dengue Fever tonight, can't wait to hear someone else's band for a change of pace =) -Tom
1:59 PM Aug 24th from web

Video posted by ND Official-No Doubt in the Parking Lot

youtube video thanks to lamb8183

Kingston Rossdale Shows Off His Cool Style

Three-year-old trendsetter Kingston Rossdale enjoyed some fun at LA's Cold Water Canyon Park yesterday. He is just adorable!

Though Gwen and Gavin's little rockstar looked to be on the verge of a mini-meltdown at one point, he seemed to return to good spirits quite quickly after a chat with his nanny.

Gavin recently revealed that his oldest son may one day follow in his parents' famous footsteps, telling E!, "I know Kingston wants to join me on stage."



Check out the source for more-www.celebritybabyscoop.com

Gwen Stefani: Shopping with Zuma

Enjoying a weekend outing, Gwen Stefani was spotted out grocery shopping with son Zuma Rossdale at Bristol Farms in Beverly Hills on Saturday (August 22).

The No Doubt singer toted her little boy in her arms as the twosome picked up a few household needs, with the outing coming just one day after Zuma’s all-important 1st birthday.
Check out the source for more-celebrity-gossip.net

Inside Gwen & Gavin's Birthday Bash for Baby Zuma

Happy birthday, Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale!

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale celebrated their youngest son's first birthday this afternoon with an outdoor soirée.

"I got home from the studio and was cooking burgers at 3 a.m. this morning to prepare for the party," Gavin tells us. "I'm the chef, and Gwen's more of the party planner. She takes care of the presents and the guests. I just love to cook for everyone."

So what do you give an A-list rock star spawn who probably already has everything? Read on to find out...

"There will probably be a lot of little trucks as presents," Gavin says. "And squeaky shoes. Zuma likes squeaky shoes. We just took him to get a pair the other day. He likes when they go 'squeak, squeak, squeak.'"

Three-year-old big brother Kingston wasn't left out of the gift-giving. "He'll probably give Zuma a dinosaur or something he can play with, too," Gavin says.

Papa Rossdale says his whole brood will most likely be in tow next Wednesday when he performs at L.A.'s The Grove mall in support of his latest hit album, WANDERlust. "I love the attention," he admits. "All musicians love the attention. That's why we do it."

And it sounds like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Gavin says, "I know Kingston wants to join me on stage."

Today 3:59 PM PDT by Marc Malkin
—Reporting by Dahvi Shira
Check out the source for more-uk.eonline.com

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY ZUMA NESTA ROCK ROSSDALE

GETTING NOSY
Zuma reaches out to touch mom Gwen Stefani's bandmate, Stephen Bradley, in Los Angeles on Aug. 9! Though he's an animated little guy, he can also be quite laid-back. "Zuma is easygoing, just like his mom," Gavin has said. "He doesn't make much noise.

LITTLE SURFER
With his shark-covered swimsuit and mini-mohawk, Zuma looks ready for a wipeout with dad Gavin Rossdale in Dana Point, Calif., on July 30. While his tiny trunks are adorable, Gwen prefers her sons less covered up: "Honestly, my favorite thing is when they're just wearing diapers. I think that's when they look the best!"



GREEN SCENE
Nom nom! Zuma snacks on a toy dolphin while floating in a Charlotte, N.C., pool with Mom on June 7. Early on, he showed a different personality from his big bro. "Apparently Zuma's more trouble [than Kingston] but I thought that he was perfect all the way," Gavin told PEOPLE in November. "At the moment he's very Buddha-like."



MAMA'S BOY
Lookin' fly, little guy! Zuma takes a style cue from Mom with a funky hat – and bib – while out in L.A. on May 7. Maybe he'll follow in big brother Kingston's fashion footsteps: Dad Gavin says his older son has "a better wardrobe than I have."



LIFE'S A BEACH
Something's funny! Zuma goes for a full-body laugh – foot-stomping included! – while enjoying a morning with Mom in Long Beach, Calif., on Apr. 5. This summer, Zuma joined Gwen on her U.S. tour with band No Doubt – leading to a lot less sleep for the rockers!



BROTHERLY LOVE
Big bro Kingston plays peacefully with Zuma during a visit to a Beverly Hills park on March 1. Though all's well now, Gavin and Gwen were initially nervous about Kingston's reaction to his new sibling. "I think at first there was probably a little concern that [Zuma] might be staying over," Gavin has said. But now, Kingston thinks he's "all right."



LONDON CALLING
Peekaboo! A wide-eyed Zuma observes the scene at London's Heathrow Airport during his first trip across the pond on Feb. 5. Does he ever get fussy? Possibly, but Gavin says he drowns out his boys' screaming by turning his music up!



SHORE THING
Gavin gives Zuma a hand during a day out in Malibu on Feb. 1. Has Zuma's presence changed his dear old dad? Apparently so! "What I've found from having children is that they just want to make you be better," Gavin has said.


What a cutie! Gwen goes smile-for-smile with Zuma during a Jan. 29 visit to a Beverly Hills park. The little guy's good nature sometimes makes him easy to miss, as Gavin told Bonnie Hunt. "Half the time, you're like…'Oh right! There's a baby over there,' " he said.


DARLING DEBUT
Hey, baby! The family introduces baby Zuma to the world on Oct. 29 in this official photo, snapped by Gwen's dad. "We wanted to share with you the first photo of Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale," they wrote. "Gwen, Gavin, Kingston and Zuma are all doing well and enjoying being a party of four."

Check out the source for more - people.com

Gwen Stefani: Beverly Hills Babe

Making sure she’s in tip-top health, Gwen Stefani was spotted leaving Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills yesterday (August 20).

The “It’s My Life” songstress looked funky fresh as she strolled past the paparazzi in an ‘80s-inspired ensemble with sunglasses.


Following her doctor’s appointment, Gwen headed to a shopping center in Hollywood to pick up a few items, ahead of her son Zuma’s big one year birthday.

Check out the source for more - celebrity-gossip.net

Super Stylish Gwen Stefani Rocks An 80s Look To The Hospital

Only pop star Gwen Stefani could pull off this look for a trip to the doctor. The pop star with the abs of steel showed up at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in some super-skinny pants (or leggings), an oversized tank top and a bright-pink lace bra underneath.

The singer's impressive post-baby physique is apparent, even under the multiple layers of clothing of her outfit. Stefani topped off her look with a trademark blond bouffant, bright red lips and some super-dark sunglasses.

Although Gwen is definitely the fashion focus here, I also feel the need to give credit to the leopard-print cardigan-wearing chica in the otherwise all-black ensemble. It's hard to stand out within a mile of Gwen, so good work, diva.
Check out the source for more bricksandstonesgossip.com

Gwen Stefani: BOA Babe

Looking lovely as usual, Gwen Stefani joined a group of friends for lunch at BOA Restaurant in West Hollywood earlier today (August 19).

The “No Doubt” singer-songwriter arrived in a see-through white top and dark cropped pants, along with a gift bag from the upscale lingerie store “Agent Provocateur.”

The 39-year-old is fresh from a much needed family vacation in Hawaii - as they just returned to Los Angeles on Sunday.

And in a recent interview, Gwen admits that she wishes she could be lazy sometimes. She told press, “I’m quite a lazy person. I love to sleep, eat, watch TV and not do too much.”


Celebrity Gossip


Check out the source for more celebrity-gossip.net

Tom Dumont post on ND Twitter

Home is great, however i'm missing the shows, the fans, the venues, the waterballoon battles, the bus, the sweat, the coronas, my friends...

Gwen And Her Boys Go For Toys

Busy mom Gwen Stefani took sons Kingston and Zuma to Toys”R”Us in Los Angeles. From the looks of that cart, it was quite a shopping spree!
Check out the source for more-www.jfxonline

Adrian Young post on ND Twitter

My good friend Allen Shellenberger from LIT passed away.
My heart goes out to his loved ones.
He was a great guy & will be missed. -Adrian

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale: LAX Family

She’s no stranger to a jet-setting lifestyle. Gwen Stefani was spotted arriving on a flight at LAX International Airport.

Joined by her husband Gavin Rossdale and their two sons Zuma and Kingston, the “Hella Good” songstress looked relaxed and casual as she strolled past the paparazzi.


Gwen & Co. were arriving home from a trip to Hawaii where they enjoyed a luxurious family vacation together.

And it sounds like Ms. Stefani had a good and well-earned break as she’s been touring with her newly-reunited band No Doubt as of late.

Check out the source-www.celebrity-gossip.net

Back to School Must Have: Harajuku Lovers Make Up Case

NEW YORK, Aug 14, 2009 / FW/ — Every girl needs the perfect accessory to hold their makeup and toiletries. Harajuku Lovers has fashionable, practical and affordable styles to keep every stylish girl organized. They are easy to clean and fit perfectly into any purse or travel bag, small or large! These Harajuku Lovers make up bags are designed by Gwen Stefani and are exclusive to Sephora.
Check out the source-www.fashionwindows.net

No Doubt Pay Tribute to Sublime

In 1995, No Doubt first set foot in Hawaii as the opening act for ska genre-mates 311 in a small, now non-existent Honolulu club. Fourteen years later, the band returned for a headlining visit on Tuesday night, playing to a sold-out crowd of about 9,000 fans at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena.

But for fans who gathered for No Doubt's 2009 reunion -- some with barely enough age to have seen No Doubt's first Hawaii show -- the musical chemistry of the group as a whole seemed unmatchable during their summer tour's last stop.

The show's most unique touch was a cover of 'DJs,' a track by fellow SoCal ska band Sublime. It was introduced as simply "an island favorite" by Gwen Stefan and was played with a tribute to the synth-and-trumpet arrangements popular in contemporary Hawaiian music. However, the song also delved back to the band's '90s beginnings, as it had often been played during the 'Tragic Kingdom' tour. Stefani and late Sublime frontman Brad Nowell were longtime friends, and resurrecting the 'DJs' cover was a subtle homage to their beloved musical peer.

Other memorable highlights included 'Stand and Deliver,' the band's new single and a remake of the 1981 Adam and the Ants hit. Drummer Adrian Young -- clad in nothing but striped tights and a tutu -- led the band in a cavalry percussion intro, with Stefani, bassist Tony Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont, trumpeter Stephen Bradley and trombonist Gabrial McNair all trading their respective instruments for sticks and drums. Bradley and McNair also shined on 'Guns of Navarone,' a cover of a Skatalites instrumental track and the theme song of the film of the same name.

Of course, it was Stefani's show in the end. Her trademark trill effortlessly riled the audience with classics like 'Spiderwebs' and incited a gender-battle sing-off during 'Just a Girl.' It was a fitting return to the 50th state for the group, who haven't played here since 2002 (although Stefani performed a set of solo dates in 2007). Even though a tropical storm threat hovered beyond the Blaisdell doors, both No Doubt and their Hawaii fans reveled in the steady rocking show.

http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk

No Doubt - August 12, 2009 @ Neal Blaisdell Arena. Honolulu, Hawaii.

No Doubt - Sunday Morning

No Doubt - Hey Baby


No Doubt - Fan on stage + Different People - Honolulu, Hawaii (08-12-09)

No Doubt - Short speech + Gwen receiving more lei's - Honolulu, Hawaii (08-12-09)

(Tragic) Kingdom Come Again, Leaving No Doubt Who Rules OC

Kingdom Come Again
. . . And again and again and again, leaving No Doubt who rules Orange County

“WELCOME TO NO DOUBT’S ORANGE COUNTY”
Those words, on a sign just inside the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater grounds, greeted eager attendees to each of No Doubt’s four Irvine shows on July 31, Aug. 1, 2 and 4, essentially the band’s victory lap for a successful return tour that started in May. Other than a brief re-formation during the encores of a couple of Gwen Stefani solo gigs at the same venue in June 2007, it’s the first time No Doubt—frequently referred to by some variation of “the biggest Orange County band of all time”—have played here since 2004.

So, yeah. It was a Big Deal, the kind that merits that many shows (each one sold out the 16,085-capacity venue) and plenty of “I remember them way back when!” reflection. It seems that everyone here has a story about how they saw No Doubt play some tiny, obscure venue in the early 1990s, or has a far-flung familial tie to one of the members. Andrew Youssef, one of our freelance photographers, relayed a story about how he saw them play a warehouse in Orange in 1994, and after the Aug. 4 show, he introduced me to a co-worker at his day job—who happened to be No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal’s cousin. The next day, I stopped in at Denim Blue Vintage Victim in Huntington Beach and was told that one of the employees there is guitarist Tom Dumont’s goddaughter. For all I know, the dude in front of me in line at Chipotle later that day probably took a judo class with drummer Adrian Young when they were in middle school.

That sign was just a bit of hyperbole placed there by promoters, but it’s actually kinda true. Even if they hadn’t been around in a while, even if they’re internationally famous superstars, even if some of them don’t live in the area anymore, No Doubt are permanently woven into the fabric of our culture—and unlike consumerism, conservatism or reality shows, they are something to be proud of.



“WE FUCKING LOVE YOU, GWEN!”
From the moment supporting act Katy Perry wrapped up set-closer “I Kissed a Girl” on the Aug. 4 date, fans occupied the next 30 minutes of their lives by screaming out such impassioned declarations. I was lucky enough to land in the pit, packed in with the rest of the band’s most hardcore devotees. One guy had a sign proclaiming he was attending his 16th concert on the tour. Another had come from Canada. Some chattered about how many of the previous Irvine shows they had attended in the past few days.

This was my first time seeing No Doubt in Orange County; I saw them in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2002 and 2004. As much as I’d like to say the Irvine crowd was special, that there was a noticeable difference in energy between the hometown crowd (about 90 percent female, Youssef estimated) and the ones I previously witnessed, I really can’t. Clearly, folks love No Doubt here—but they loved them in Phoenix, too. And I’m sure they loved them in Albuquerque, Cleveland, Kansas City and every other stop on their “Summer Tour 2009.” (Not a “reunion” tour, mind you. They never broke up, just took time off.) Even Perry (from Santa Barbara) seemed starstruck. “I met Gwen Stefani backstage,” she said during her set. “I can safely say that I want to be like her when I grow up.”

No Doubt are a lovable band, bursting with fun, upbeat songs. Get a band that big to play in front of that many people, playing that many huge hits, and you’re going to generate excitement.

And man, people were excited. One of the loudest crowds I’ve been around in a while. And knowing they were playing their hometown—in front of people who probably all had some Byzantine connection to them—did make it seem like an even Bigger Deal.

Stefani worked “Orange County” into lyrics (“Orange County is so rock steady”), called us “Orange County girls” and “Orange County boys,” and generally yelled “Orange County!” a lot, so there was no mistaking where the band were from or where this concert was happening. While introducing her associates during an extended “Different People” instrumental break, Stefani delineated the local ties of each member—she and Kanal from Anaheim, Dumont from Irvine, and Young from Cypress. She pointed out Kanal’s time at Anaheim High School and Dumont’s stint “flipping burgers” at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (then known as the less blatantly corporate Irvine Meadows). They’re not hiding from their pasts—not that they could if they wanted to.



“THIS IS A WHOLE ’NOTHER LEVEL OF WEIRDNESS AND TRIPPINESS!”
Making that statement after “Underneath It All” on Aug. 4, in reference to selling out four Irvine shows, Stefani seemed totally sincere, even if it might be difficult to accept an “aww, shucks” moment from her, more so than from anyone else in the band. Sure, her already high profile has been raised to absurd levels in the past five years, after the massive pop success of her two solo records, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and The Sweet Escape. She has sold millions of records, is on the cover of approximately a billion magazines each month, popped up in a Scorsese movie, married a super-handsome British dude, and spends her time between London and LA, but there still has to be something cool about being able to come back to your hometown (ish) and pack four consecutive shows, playing the role of “quintessential local boy(s and girl) done good.”

Critics have called her solo work shallow and insincere, essentially an aural infomercial for her LAMB clothing line. (It’s a good bet that these critics are far outside her target demographic.) One song on 2006’s The Sweet Escape was particularly frustrating to detractors: “Orange County Girl.” On that chorus, Stefani repeats, “I’m just an Orange County girl, living in an extraordinary world.” A review in NME declared it “horribly similar to J-Lo’s putrid ‘Jenny From the Block.’”

The origins of No Doubt go back to Anaheim in 1986, with Stefani starting a band called Apple Core with her brother Eric. Fellow founding member John Spence committed suicide the following year. Much has been made of 1995’s Tragic Kingdom and “Just a Girl” (and “Don’t Speak” and “Spiderwebs” and “Sunday Morning” and “Excuse Me Mr.,” etc.) being the band’s breakthrough, and it was, capitalizing on MTV and modern-rock radio’s brief fascination with ska. But in 1992, No Doubt were already on Interscope Records, who’ve released all of their albums other than 1995’s The Beacon Street Collection.

In their 1992 self-titled debut, they were struggling with staying true to their ska origins vs. their new-wave tendencies—much as they received flak for the more somber moments of 2000’s Return of Saturn (“Simple Kind of Life” and “Six Feet Under,” both legitimate downers) and their liaisons with dancehall on Rock Steady (from which a straight line can be drawn to Stefani’s solo stuff). Sure, No Doubt have changed—but that’s nothing new for them.

Which makes their appearance at the Irvine shows all the more uncanny—eerie, even. Both musically and physically, it was very much the same band I saw at those 2002 and 2004 shows. No Doubt’s ability to hold up is either somehow supernatural or a testament to living right. Stefani’s meticulously maintained midsection has garnered much attention over the years, and her abs absolutely retain washboard status, despite mothering two children with husband Gavin Rossdale. The rest of the band look no worse for wear, from touring horn section/multi-instrumentalists Stephen Bradley and Gabrial McNair to Young, still making the wacky-skimpy-outfits thing work for him.

Much like that 2002 tour with openers Garbage and the Distillers, No Doubt were paired with two fellow female-fronted acts: The Sounds on all four dates, Paramore on the first three, Perry on the last. And just as in that 2002 tour, No Doubt brought out their supporting acts during the encore for an ’80s cover; then, it was Blondie’s “Call Me,” and now, it’s “Stand and Deliver” by Adam and the Ants.

Without a new album to tour behind (that’s tentatively scheduled for 2010), the set lists—which only varied slightly between the four nights—were a lot like the ones on their 2004 tour supporting greatest-hits album The Singles 1992–2003: Other than a couple of more obscure Tragic Kingdom tracks, it was hit after hit after hit. The parting shot was “Sunday Morning,” another Tragic Kingdom song. That could be viewed by skeptics as a tacit admission that the band peaked creatively more than a decade ago. But it’s also proof that out of all of No Doubt’s talents, their best might be knowing what their fans want.



“YOU GUYS ARE FUCKING AMAZING FOR SHOWING UP TONIGHT!”
Four shows in or not, there was little, uh, doubt, that fans (including, according to the buzz in the crowd, pro surfer Rob Machado and actress Kirsten Dunst) would turn up at the amphitheater that Tuesday night. It was still nice of Stefani to say. No matter how big she or the band may be, they still engaged in the type of fan-friendly behavior that made them so endearing in the first place, something they no longer need to do. Stefani left the stage twice to reach out to the front row, and she brought fans up twice to take pictures with them. At the end of the set, she left the stage again to take a shot with her own camera of the numerous rows of fans behind her. Moments like that hint that maybe the band really haven’t let international fame and unfathomable success change them all that much. Or they’re at least self-aware enough to want people to think that, which is effectively just as good.


Because, really, as much as we’d like to daydream that No Doubt haven’t changed and are still just regular Orange Countians like the rest of us, how could they not have? Music superstardom or not, who among us hasn’t changed over the past two decades? What’s truly assuring is that, as much can be evidenced from these four Irvine shows—which re-defined the term “crowd-pleaser”—it’s change for the better. No matter where they go or where they’ve been, Orange County is still as much a part of them as they’re a part of us.

Blaisdell arena Honolulu

No Doubt - Underneath It All

No Doubt - Hella Good

No Doubt - Stand and deliver

No Doubt cover Sublime D.J.s live

No Doubt - Spiderwebs - Honolulu, Hawaii (08-11-09)

NO DOUBT TOUR - 8/11/2009 Honolulu, HI.Neal S. Blaisdell Arena

hawaiigrlygrl
My favorite of all my vids fram last nite. Had the Freakin time of my life! Gwen is the Best of them all I tell ya!

No Doubt joined Twitter

No Doubt joined Twitter. You can follow the band here: http://twitter.com/nodoubt.

Zuma Rossdale: Born To Rock

Looks like Zuma, 1 this month, is taking after his rock star parents: The littlest Rossdale was spotted at the airport with his mom Gwen Stefani and big brother Kingston, 3, yesterday sporting a bib that read, "Born to rock."

Dad Gavin Rossdale wasn't with the threesome as they jetted out of LAX, presumbly headed to Hawaii, where Gwen is next scheduled to perform.

The No Doubt singer recently got a bit of praise from 24-year-old rising star Katy Perry, who took to Twitter after the band's California show to gush, "When I grow up I wanna be just like Gwen Stefani."
CHECK OUT THE SOURCE
celebritybabyscoop

The Sounds join No Doubt on stage Dressed up as No Doubt

from the The Sounds blog (Google Translated)

Last gig with No Doubt
August 11, 2009, at 14:28 Written by The Sounds Report ! !

Hello!

Last Saturday was the last gig with No Doubt. definitivt ett bra sätt att spendera There has been a fantastic tour, definitely a good way to spend a summer on.

Before the last gig we include Santa Barbara on a beautiful outdoor venue in the mountains. Where we just played and No Doubt, so we took the opportunity and played a longer set with several new songs.

Then we went to Las Vegas for a day off, with poker game, limp in the pool at the Hard Rock Café and the mass celebration. For those of you who have not been in Las Vegas is definitely a must before you die.The first time we were there was 2003, and the first person we met was an old lady who mumble

- This city is suicide, leave before its too late. - This city is suicide, leave before its too late.

It is no wonder that it is known as "Sin City".

Anyway, it is not all it is going badly for. Jesper managed to play closer to $ 2000 and get a royal flush at a texas hold 'em table before we went to San Diego.

when you have been out on a long tour with a band usually last gig to do something "prank" on the other band. We have done that with most bands we toured with.

With Under the Influence of Giants in 2006, we began to pick the bottom drummer's drum set in the last song so he basically had nothing left to play at the end of the last song. Division of Laura lee came in naked on our stage last song, etc. etc.. There are also some rumors that ngt band stopped in poop in the bass drum so each time drummer stamped on the kick pedal has been a wave of poop smell.

Luckily for us it did not happen last gig with No Doubt, but instead came Adrian Young (drummer of No Doubt) out, clad only kallinge with the Swedish flag painted on the behind and a Swedish flag in his hand. Then he took over the drums and jammed a bit with us after the gig came into our dressing room was full decorated with Swedish flags and gifts.

Since we already dressed ballerinas to us as a prank on a track so it felt like we had to think for a bit this last day. No Doubt girlfriends / wives had the idea that we in The Sounds would dress us like a copy of No Doubt for the last song. We just took their extra clothes while they were on stage and results you can see below!
Hope you all had a great summer, see you at the Malmö Festival in August 20e!

-------------------------------

Post on the ND FAN FORUM Maja dressed as Gwen

Check out the forum for more.

No Doubt with the Sounds Maja Ivarsson & Shirley Mason of Garbage - Stand & Deliver - 8.8.09 video thanks to dansergrrl

FORUM FANS VIDEOS-at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, CA on August 8, 2009.

FORUM FANS VIDEOS
AlTheKiller - High Quality videos from 2nd San Diego show (8/8)
No Doubt playing Don't Speak live from the final stop on their Summer Tour (Gwen said Hawaii doesn't count, haha) at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, CA on August 8, 2009.

No Doubt - "Different People" (Live in San Diego)

No Doubt - "Just a Girl" (Live in San Diego)

No Doubt - "Spiderwebs" (Live in San Diego)

No Doubt - "Sunday Morning" (Live in San Diego)

No Doubt - "It's My Life" (Live in San Diego)

No Doubt - "Hey Baby" (Live in San Diego)

No Doubt - "Bathwater" (Live in San Diego)

No Doubt, we know them well at The Joint

No Doubt romps through its reunion show at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.

By John Katsilometes · August 8, 2009 · 7:31 PM


Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabik.com

Gwen Stefani and her band No Doubt perform at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.
Two moments at the Hard Rock Hotel last night effectively tracked the history of No Doubt in Las Vegas. Both unfolded before even a note was played at The Joint.

As I entered the music hall, I ran into an old friend, Tony Cordasco. For those of you who do not know the movers-slash-shakers in VegasVille, Cordasco is an executive for Red Bull North America (that’s the energy drink, and a continent on which it is marketed). Before taking that job, Cordasco was for years a member of the UNLV sports radio broadcast team and part of the athletic department’s sports marketing staff. I met him in 1996, when he was working with Ken Korach and the late Glen Gondrezick on UNLV Runnin’ Rebel hoops radio coverage. Because Cordasco was involved with marketing of shows at the T&M, he was aware of ticket sales for even non-sporting events, including concerts. In the spring of 1997, the arena took what seemed a risky booking: the Orange County band No Doubt. The band had played the previous year at The Joint and sold out, but the T&M seats several thousand more than did the old Joint (and the new place, for that matter). It was impossible to know, with any confidence, if this band would be able to play to a crowd in the teens of thousands.

But a week before the show, No Doubt had indeed sold out. The catch phrase around the halls at the T&M was “No Doubt! Sold out!” (Just four years later, in one of the great Vegas shows ever, No Doubt opened for U2 at the T&M.)

Today there’s no doubt (play on words there) of the band’s draw, evident by the way it took the stage last night at The Joint for its 55th show in a 58-city reunion tour.

A white drape was unfurled at the front of the stage, and four silhouetted figures lurched forward, growing with each step. It was striking how recognizable, today, the forms of Tom Dumont, Gwen Stefani, Adrian Young and Tony Kanal have become. There was no question who they were. No doubt, I guess, would be a more fitting way to term that. They filled the 4,000-seat Joint, to the surprise of no one, and matched their style with force. I’ll say it again: When Gwen Stefani hits the deck for 10 push-ups, which she’s been performing at least since that 1997 show, you know it is no ordinary entertainment experience.

More from the show
The way Stefani bobs and weaves around the stage seems familiar, a lot like Muhammad Ali when he was Cassius Clay. She’s firing jabs, circling, shuffling, putting her chin out and pulling it back. She floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee, and I guess playing the role of Sonny Liston is the audience. … Quoting from myself, from the No Doubt show at The (old) Joint in April 2002. “There was a moment during Saturday night's sold-out show by No Doubt at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, as lead vocalist Gwen Stefani gripped the microphone and slalomed her way through “Sunday Morning,” when the 90-minute experience could be summed up in three words: Lucky mic stand.” Whew. No Couth would be my band’s name. … Having seen No Doubt five times now (including a performance at Rain at the Palms), I’ve yet to see Young wear pants onstage, ever. Remember, there is a big difference between wearing only black briefs and fishnet leggings onstage, and wearing only black briefs and fishnet leggings while sitting in the balcony. … It was a heavy-with-singles set: “Spiderwebs,” “Hella Good,” “Underneath It All,” “Simple Kind of Life,” “Hey Baby,” “Running,” “It’s My Life,” “Just a Girl” and (encore!) “Rock Steady” and “Sunday Morning.” … During “Running,” the band has long played a montage of old videos from their formative days in Orange County, and it’s still pretty moving. The crappy gigs at outdoor parties, bowling (or attempting to), crazy zipper-padded ’80s fashions and hair teased five ways to Sunday. It’s really funny, poignant footage. … Midway through the show, the woman sitting next to me pointed out Stefani’s rippling midriff and asked, “How can she have two kids?” Good question. A hoax, maybe? … Stefani turns 40 on Oct. 3. … Her hair pulled atop her head in a tightly ratcheted ponytail, Stefani started the night in a punkish, sleeveless, white half-T-shirt-pants-jacket ensemble adorned with floppy chains and menacing black boots. Her second outfit was her best, though, a black-and-white, sequined top patterned as a chessboard. The queen has all the moves? Is that the message? … The 58-city tour careening to a close, Stefani nostalgically pulled several audience members onstage to pose for photos and hugs. One fan claimed to have seen 21 performances. Offered a T-shirt, he just wanted “a hug.” She obliged. Another follower gave her a tour scrapbook. … The tour closes next weekend in an ideal spot for an extended vacation, the Neil S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu.

NO DOUBT TOUR - 8/08/2009 San Diego, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

No Doubt at the Santa Barbara Bowl

Before taking a final bow with the entire band, the last thing Gwen Stefani did during No Doubt’s Bowl show was ask a few fans for a camera. Lying on the stage with her head as close to the audience as possible, she snapped a straight-armed shot, then handed back her fan’s point-and-shoot. Although it lasted all of about 15 seconds, the interaction described No Doubt’s sold-out performance at the S.B. Bowl—this show was all about the fans.

Playing like a mix tape of their best and most well-known tracks, Wednesday’s set list ranged from ska-heavy Tragic Kingdom tracks to the more dancehall-friendly beats of Rock Steady.

After starting off with “Spiderwebs,” Gwen and Co. plunged straight into “Hella Good” and “Underneath It All.” Decked out in billowing white pants tucked into tall black boots and a crop-top wife beater, Stefani sprinted across the vast stage, hamming it up with each of her bandmates and engaging in a battle of high kicks with bassist Tony Kanal, whose neon-pink-and-yellow guitar was a sharp contrast to the stark white stage setup. Later, the familiar drum beats of “Bathwater” faded into an energized horn intermission, allowing Stefani to slip into something a little more sparkly. (Imagine someone spilling a Costco-sized container of glitter onto a checkers board, then fashioning it into a onesie, and you get the idea.)

The band then ripped into “New” and Stefani climbed into the crowd, grabbing audience members’ hands and pointing and smiling at the frenzied cluster of youngsters who surged closer. Once she got back onstage, Stefani hovered close to the mike for “Running,” which featured a poignant series of video clips from the band’s earliest days together.

As the familiar riffs of “Just a Girl” cut through the air, Stefani dropped to the stage and counted off a set of pushups. It was a perfect ending to this retrospective show: The Anaheim girl who first showed the world that a muscled chick can be hot proved there’s nothing sexier than a strong and independent woman. It’s something the No Doubt faithful grew up believing, and it’s something we all witnessed this past Wednesday night.
Check out the source
independent.com

There’s no doubting that No Doubt rules

No Doubt performs at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

By Don Chareunsy, Vegas DeLuxe editor

Two strong and fabulous women. Two very different musical genres. Two amazing concerts.

I didn’t think there’d be topping Beyonce’s phenomenal I Am … Yours concert last weekend at the Encore Theater in Wynn Las Vegas any time soon, but No Doubt, with phenomenal frontwoman Gwen Stefani, gave Sasha Fierce a run for her money last night at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.

If I wasn’t a fan of Gwen and No Doubt before, I’m a fan now. To be fair, I own a few of their CDs and like their music. But Gwen and No Doubt take it to a whole new level in their concert performances. Last night, No Doubt was high-energy and thoroughly engaging, with Gwen getting the audience to jump up and down, chant and stand up (for those who had seats instead of being on the floor) throughout the evening. Our amazing contributing photographer Erik Kabik was onsite and snapped these photos for our two galleries.
Gwen’s voice and unique vocal stylings were in top form. As if the band weren’t enthralling enough, the background images -- from music videos to old band footage (a younger Gwen, with much longer and natural hair, bears a striking resemblance to Madonna and Drew Barrymore) to 007 and Mod sequences -- complemented their concert.

I can’t say enough about Gwen; she is amazing. She is stunning, her six-pack abs would make any woman -- and most men -- green with envy. And the L.A.M.B. creator showcased her flair for fashion onstage, from the first all-white outfit with jacket and cropped top to showcase her amazing stomach to the adorable and fun black-and-silver, glittery checkerboard mini shorts with black leggings and boots. For the encore, it was a glittery black short-sleeve polo and black and white pants.

The 15-song set started off with “Spiderwebs” and finished, as I predicted to my guest, with “Just a Girl,” and it was like an 80-minute aerobics workout with Gwen and the band jumping, moving and dancing all over the stage. If 80 minutes is short in time span, the concert wasn’t short on energy and hits, including “Hella Good,” “Underneath It All,” “Ex-Girlfriend,” “Simple Kind of Life,” “Bathwater,” “Hey Baby,” "Running" and “Don’t Speak.” The encore was a mellow “Rock Steady” and a crowd pumpin’ and jumpin’ “Sunday Morning.”
A major highlight was Gwen’s interaction with her fans. After “Underneath It All,” she talked with the audience and accepted a scrapbook from a fan, which she seemed to genuinely like. After telling the audience that this is No Doubt’s 55th show on their current tour (they have three more to go), she autographed a fan’s old-school photo of her. She snapped numerous digital camera pics. And she brought two fans up onstage, one woman who had a No Doubt tattoo on her back shoulder, and the other an excited young man who had seen No Doubt/Gwen Stefani 21 times.

“This guy deserves something. Can we get him a T-shirt or something?” she said. He wanted a hug, and Gwen obliged, joking, “I’m totally pimping myself right now.” He got a photo with her, too. She also went into the crowd a few times while singing and accepted a sign from a fan made out to her hairdresser!
Gwen has her two feet on the ground and is like an Everywoman, except that she’s a millionaire, famous, award winning and has a super hot husband with an accent (British singer Gavin Rossdale of Bush fame, in case you don’t follow such things).

After last night’s concert, I’m feelin’ hella good and gonna keep on dancin’. And that’s not even my favorite No Doubt song.

Final note/question: Does drummer Adrian Young always perform in his underwear and knee-high socks? Last night, it was black briefs. For the encore, Adrian covered up … in a pink tutu.

Panic! At the Disco

Last night was one of Panic! At the Disco’s first performances since guitarist, co-founder and songwriter Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker left the band about a month ago due to musical differences, leaving lead singer and keyboardist Brendon Urie and co-founder and drummer Spencer Smith in a (state of?) Panic.

I couldn’t help but think of the similarities between the five-year-old band and The Killers, who’ve been together for seven years. Panic sounds like The Killers. They’re both from Las Vegas. And both have pretty boy front men. Brendon, however, lacks the charisma of Brandon Flowers, although he’s clearly working on it, dedicating a song to his family -- and Megan Fox, because he can. And last night, Brendon, in a hip and sexy silver-gray skinny suit, was channeling a cleaned-up version of Robert Pattinson and ran his fingers through his hair repeatedly during the set.
“It’s an incredible honor to be playing with No Doubt,” Brendon told the audience. “I stole Tragic Kingdom from my sister in the ninth grade.”

Panic saved their two biggest hits, “Nine in the Afternoon” and “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” for their last two songs and was fairly well received by the audience. The real test, though, will be the band’s third album, without the talents of songwriter Ryan.

The Sounds were the first opening act.



In addition, A. Jay Popoff and Jeremy Popoff from the punk group LIT were spotted in the crowd and enjoying the show.

/Erik_Kabik_Photography

Check out the source vegasnews.com

No Doubt rewards loyal fans in Hawaii with regular visits

By Gary C.W. Chun


Of all the rock shows I've worked on and covered for the local print news over the many years, I've always had a soft spot for No Doubt.


Sure, they might not be part of the Rock Pantheon of Important Artists, but the chemistry of Gwen Stefani onstage with her longtime band and with the Hawaii fans has been an affectionate and honest one. And they always put on a lively show.

It's been a 14-year-old love affair between Hawaii and No Doubt, and considering the band's two consecutive concerts here in Honolulu this weekend, it looks like the fire isn't going to burn out any time soon.

While the band started way back in 1987 in Orange County in SoCal, we first got wind of Gwen and the gang in 1995, when they opened for 311 at the now-defunct After Dark club on Nimitz Highway.

No Doubt's debut album had just come out, "Tragic Kingdom" on the independent Trauma Records label, and the video for "Just a Girl," plus the album's subsequent singles "Spiderwebs" and "Don't Speak," was going to get them the national buzz, thanks to the corporate Universal Music picking up the album.

So come the following year, the band was one of the most anticipated acts at Big Mele, a rock festival held at Kualoa Ranch. They were part of a strong bill that included Cypress Hill, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Dance Hall Crashers.

I was working with the local office of the SoCal Goldenvoice concert promotions as an occasional behind-the-scenes helper and runner during that time, and I can tell you, seeing Stefani, decked out in her street skater-girl fashion, work the hot and dusty crowd at the Big Mele to a frenzy from one of the stage wings, I could tell she was going to help propel No Doubt to higher heights.

I was also fortunate to work on the band's next show here in May 1998, this time at Richardson Field, when they invited to play on their Nomad Festival bill (that included the Vandals and Cherry Poppin' Daddies) their personal heroes, Madness.

The band's famous British "Two-Tone" ska revival sound was part of No Doubt's origins. Stefani told me in an interview back then that as a teenager in love with movie musicals, it was her older brother Eric who made her an instant Madness fan when he brought home a copy of their "Baggy Trousers" 7-inch vinyl import single.

Because No Doubt was working on what would become the "Return of Saturn" album, it was the band's only concert shows after 2 1/2 years of constant touring. Even then there was already distracting talk about Stefani becoming a solo star in her own right and breaking away from her longtime band mates.

But the band decided to stick together for the time being.

No Doubt would return to the islands two more times: in October 2000 for a show at the University of Hawaii-Manoa's Andrews Amphitheatre as part of a tour to support "Return to Saturn" (pretty much of a transitional album, but buoyed by the hits "Ex-Girlfriend" and "Simple Kind of Life"), and then, finally with Stefani in true pop-star form, in August 2002 at the Blaisdell Center for the "Rock Steady" tour.

New, strong songs augmented the band's earlier repertoire of hits that they played in concert -- "Hey Baby," "Hella Good" and especially "Underneath It All." In an article I wrote to preview Stefani's two sold-out solo shows in early August of '07, I mentioned "one memorable image from that concert was seeing Stefani perched on the shoulders of her former beau, bassist Tony Kanal, their faces aglow as the audience heartily sang (the chorus of) the band's lovers rock hit (for them)."

Even after the relative success of her solo work, No Doubt was never far away. Stefani and the band reunited for her shows in Irvine, Calif., earlier on that 2007 tour.

And now, thankfully, two years later, the band is touring together again, and for me, Gwen Stefani is back where she belongs, as the charismatic front woman of No Doubt. Granted, there are no new songs to play, but that's OK for the fans. The band has added three cover songs to their set list during their concerts: "It's My Life," which was on their greatest-hits album, "The Singles: 1992-2003"; a well-chosen tune from the classic Jamaican band the Skatalites, the jumping instrumental "The Guns of Navarone"; and the New Wave fave "Stand and Deliver" from Adam and the Ants as part of their encore.

On behalf of your Hawaii fans, a big mahalo for getting back together, guys.
Check out the source-starbulletin.com

No Doubt's inevitable return

As the pop group prepares for its return to Hawaii, guitarist Tom Dumont says reassembling the band members was always part of the master plan

By Jason Genegabus


POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Aug 07, 2009

For most Hawaii residents, No Doubt is a band that needs no introduction. With five visits to the islands over the last 15 years, the Gwen Stefani-fronted quartet from Orange County, Calif., has enjoyed returning here on a semiregular basis even after their music caught on with fans around the world.
"We always felt really welcomed out there," guitarist Tom Dumont said last month. "I went with my family to Maui in January, (and) we stayed on this great beach and rented a house.
"The last day we were there, (my son) said, 'Daddy, I want to stay here forever.'"
The Star-Bulletin spoke with Dumont before No Doubt was scheduled to perform in Milwaukee as part of the band's summer "reunion tour." For more about their previous visits to Hawaii, see the accompanying story.

QUESTION: When the Star-Bulletin spoke with you in 1998, you said you clearly remembered the day you quit your day job to become a full-time musician. Can you still remember that day?

ANSWER: I remember the job. I don't remember exactly quitting in March (1998), but that kind of all adds it up, so it makes sense.
That year, I had started promoting this nightclub near my house, (and) I started making, at that time, what I thought was a great deal of money. It was a fun time.
It's not that long ago, but it was a long time ago.

Q: You've been on the road for a few weeks. What's your overall impression of this tour so far?

A: We've done about 30 shows or so (at this point). It's been really fun, but really exhausting at times.
In the old days I would get exhausted from drinking too much alcohol. But nowadays, since we have our kids out here, there's very little drinking of alcohol and lots of parenting.
It's been a surprise in the sense that we just didn't know what to expect. The kind of whole idea of the tour was to get that boost from playing together again and playing in front of an audience.

Q: The word "reunion" seems a little awkward, since No Doubt never broke up. Does it feel like a reunion to you?

A: You know, it's funny. We worked really hard for so many years making records and touring nonstop ... (and) at the end of our Rock Steady tour, which was the end of 2002, we were burnt. It made sense to take a break, since we'd recorded three albums in a row and toured so much.
And when we took the break, we'd been together for so many years ... we weren't taking a break because we hated each other. We took a break because we were tired. It was time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. We didn't break up. Gwen didn't quit the band.
In a sense it's a reunion of sorts because we haven't played together. But at the same time, we always knew we would get back together and do this.

Q: What is the ultimate goal for No Doubt with this tour?

A: It's all about getting back to the origins of the band, just playing live. Before we made records, we were a live band. If you go on our Web site, there's a really extensive show archive. Playing live was something we always thought we were good at.
(The tour has) been about kind of recharging the batteries, feeling that love from the audience and having fun together. And we're doing that. The shows have been really great and fun, but our off days are fun, too. We hang out every night. We're having fun together.

Q: How has the experience of being on the road changed for you?

A: Physically, we're a couple of years older. The good thing is that everyone's been so excited about this, everyone's made a big effort to get in shape. The pressure is on me because Gwen, Adrian and Tony are skinny and work really hard. I'm the guy who has to watch what I eat and work out. I'm not as disciplined. So, everybody is physically good. Everybody's working for it.

Q: What about musically?

A: Musically, I think we sound pretty good. We put a lot into the show, even though we're not promoting an album. We're putting on a big show, so every song is enhanced quite a bit. Having said that, unfortunately we can't bring nine semis to Hawaii. The Blaisdell, for arenas, is a very intimate space.

Q: The only new song fans will hear during this tour is "Stand and Deliver." How did the band decide on that particular track?

A: When we were gearing up for this tour, we needed to do a bunch of TV appearances to help promote. We were on 'American Idol' and the 'Today Show,' and we got asked to play a role on this show 'Gossip Girl.'
So we recorded a cover version of 'Stand and Deliver' and did it on the show. It's not out on an album or anything -- the only way you can get it is by buying a ticket to our show. You get a copy of our complete catalog and that song.
By the time we get to Hawaii the set could change. We have a good time doing it, but it's just for fun. It was something we wanted to do for the tour.

Q: What can you tell us about working with Matt Costa?

A: Right around the time we decided to take a break from No Doubt, I thought at that point in my life that I liked being in the studio.
Matt was just a local guy I met at the time, and I thought he had some talent. I had him start coming to my house and record songs in my home studio. He was my guinea pig as a producer. We ended up recording a bunch of stuff, and I actually released a couple of EPs that I financed.
Matt's a great artist and a great guy. Musically, he's very different from No Doubt, but because he's got a bit of history in Hawaii and some great fans out there, so we thought it would be great for him to play those two shows with us.

For most Hawaii residents, No Doubt is a band that needs no introduction. With five visits to the islands over the last 15 years, the Gwen Stefani-fronted quartet from Orange County, Calif., has enjoyed returning here on a semiregular basis even after their music caught on with fans around the world.

"We always felt really welcomed out there," guitarist Tom Dumont said last month. "I went with my family to Maui in January, (and) we stayed on this great beach and rented a house.

"The last day we were there, (my son) said, 'Daddy, I want to stay here forever.'"

The Star-Bulletin spoke with Dumont before No Doubt was scheduled to perform in Milwaukee as part of the band's summer "reunion tour." For more about their previous visits to Hawaii, see the accompanying story.

QUESTION: When the Star-Bulletin spoke with you in 1998, you said you clearly remembered the day you quit your day job to become a full-time musician. Can you still remember that day?

ANSWER: I remember the job. I don't remember exactly quitting in March (1998), but that kind of all adds it up, so it makes sense.

That year, I had started promoting this nightclub near my house, (and) I started making, at that time, what I thought was a great deal of money. It was a fun time.

It's not that long ago, but it was a long time ago.

Q: You've been on the road for a few weeks. What's your overall impression of this tour so far?

A: We've done about 30 shows or so (at this point). It's been really fun, but really exhausting at times.

In the old days I would get exhausted from drinking too much alcohol. But nowadays, since we have our kids out here, there's very little drinking of alcohol and lots of parenting.

It's been a surprise in the sense that we just didn't know what to expect. The kind of whole idea of the tour was to get that boost from playing together again and playing in front of an audience.

Q: The word "reunion" seems a little awkward, since No Doubt never broke up. Does it feel like a reunion to you?

A: You know, it's funny. We worked really hard for so many years making records and touring nonstop ... (and) at the end of our Rock Steady tour, which was the end of 2002, we were burnt. It made sense to take a break, since we'd recorded three albums in a row and toured so much.

And when we took the break, we'd been together for so many years ... we weren't taking a break because we hated each other. We took a break because we were tired. It was time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. We didn't break up. Gwen didn't quit the band.



In a sense it's a reunion of sorts because we haven't played together. But at the same time, we always knew we would get back together and do this.

Q: What is the ultimate goal for No Doubt with this tour?

A: It's all about getting back to the origins of the band, just playing live. Before we made records, we were a live band. If you go on our Web site, there's a really extensive show archive. Playing live was something we always thought we were good at.

(The tour has) been about kind of recharging the batteries, feeling that love from the audience and having fun together. And we're doing that. The shows have been really great and fun, but our off days are fun, too. We hang out every night. We're having fun together.

Q: How has the experience of being on the road changed for you?

A: Physically, we're a couple of years older. The good thing is that everyone's been so excited about this, everyone's made a big effort to get in shape. The pressure is on me because Gwen, Adrian and Tony are skinny and work really hard. I'm the guy who has to watch what I eat and work out. I'm not as disciplined. So, everybody is physically good. Everybody's working for it.

Q: What about musically?

A: Musically, I think we sound pretty good. We put a lot into the show, even though we're not promoting an album. We're putting on a big show, so every song is enhanced quite a bit. Having said that, unfortunately we can't bring nine semis to Hawaii. The Blaisdell, for arenas, is a very intimate space.


Q: The only new song fans will hear during this tour is "Stand and Deliver." How did the band decide on that particular track?

A: When we were gearing up for this tour, we needed to do a bunch of TV appearances to help promote. We were on 'American Idol' and the 'Today Show,' and we got asked to play a role on this show 'Gossip Girl.'


So we recorded a cover version of 'Stand and Deliver' and did it on the show. It's not out on an album or anything -- the only way you can get it is by buying a ticket to our show. You get a copy of our complete catalog and that song.

By the time we get to Hawaii the set could change. We have a good time doing it, but it's just for fun. It was something we wanted to do for the tour.

Q: What can you tell us about working with Matt Costa?

A: Right around the time we decided to take a break from No Doubt, I thought at that point in my life that I liked being in the studio.

Matt was just a local guy I met at the time, and I thought he had some talent. I had him start coming to my house and record songs in my home studio. He was my guinea pig as a producer. We ended up recording a bunch of stuff, and I actually released a couple of EPs that I financed.

Matt's a great artist and a great guy. Musically, he's very different from No Doubt, but because he's got a bit of history in Hawaii and some great fans out there, so we thought it would be great for him to play those two shows with us.

Matt Costa will open up for No Doubt this weekend

.

Tom Dumont

Check out the source-starbulletin.com

No Doubt-Band always knew promise to reunite was solid as a rock

By Kawehi Haug
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Calling No Doubt's return to music a comeback isn't exactly accurate. But after five years of silence from the California-based pop-ska outfit, it sure feels like a comeback.


Maybe it was just our cynical disposition, or maybe we were still wounded from the Smashing Pumpkins' breakup, but truth be told: We weren't buying the whole hiatus spiel.

When the announcement came in 2004 that No Doubt would be taking a break, but that the band would be back together in a few years, the collective "yeah, right" from fans and music critics was all but audible.

Bands say that all the time, and then one of two things happens: They break up, or they get back together and make bad music.

No one likes to be wrong, but guess what? We were wrong. Not only did No Doubt return to music as promised, word on the street is that the foursome — lead singer Gwen Stefani, drummer Adrian Young and guitarists Tom Dumont and Tony Kanal — are as good as ever.

"We never really broke up. And we never wanted to be the kind of band that breaks up," said Dumont on the phone from Milwaukee, one of the stops on the current reunion tour.

"What most people don't know is that we've been together for 20 years now. We've grown up together. We know each other really well, and we're very close friends. I think to the world, it seemed like, of course they've broken up, the singer's gone solo. But it's not the way it was between us. We always knew we would play together again. It would be silly not to."

No Doubt went out on the road in June, and did so with little regard for the write-record-tour formula that's become the norm for touring music makers. Instead of touring in support of a new album, No Doubt is doing the touring first, then will make the album later.

"We started getting together at the beginning of last year to write an album, and we spent a lot of time together with the objective of writing songs," Dumont said. "We've actually come up with a great deal of music, but for various reasons, we couldn't pull it together into an album. Toward the end of last year, Gwen came up with the idea of just playing some shows, getting back to being a band again and using the tour to figure out what she wants to say in an album, and what kind of music we want to make."

No Doubt will play two shows at Blaisdell Arena next week, which makes the band three for three: Three national tours, three Honolulu appearances. That's sort of a big deal for us. While most bands ignore us altogether, a few come once or twice in their careers. Few, if any, make the Islands a regular tour stop.

We could almost convince ourselves that No Doubt likes us. And maybe that's not too hard to imagine, considering how much we like them — the band's 1998 and 2002 Honolulu concerts were sold out (Gwen Stefani's 2007 solo show was also a sellout). This time around, the Aug. 11 show sold out, prompting promoter Tom Moffatt to book a second show for the following night.

Whatever reason they keep coming back, we'll take it.

"It's very much by design that we're visiting Hawai'i at the end of the tour," Dumont said. "It's our little reward. That's what we did on the Rock Steady tour, and it worked really well. It's turning into a tradition."

Critics agree: No Doubt is as good as it ever was
"The platinum-haired Stefani remains a great performer, impossible to resist. ... Guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young — augmented by horn-wielding sidemen Stephen Bradley and Gabriel McNair — played with gusto, locking in on old faves ... (Stefani) owned every inch of the stage with no apology."

— Philadelphia Inquirer, on No Doubt's May 2 Atlantic City concert, which opened the tour

"The band basically picked up where it left before it went on hiatus in 2004. It was a high-energy, glitch-free tour opener, with the band, lacking new material, free to focus on highlights of its previous years together. ... Throughout the show, the band moved smoothly from reggae to ska, punk-pop and power ballads. ... (Stefani) couldn't have looked happier."

— New Jersey Star-Ledger, on No Doubt's Atlantic City concert

"With gusto, (Stefani) bounced around, skanked like a ragdoll, banged her head, flailed her arms and basically ran around like a white blur. ... The band hammered away with a set made up (almost) exclusively of their voluminous catalog of hit singles."

— Rolling Stone, on No Doubt's performance at the Bamboozle Music Festival in East Rutherford, N.J.

"No Doubt's always been big on communicating the joy of playing music, and there was no shortage of that during a nearly 90-minute set chocked with hits ... a smartly conceived, thrillingly executed show ... a stirring and convincing welcome back."

— Los Angeles Times

"No Doubt returned to the stage as if they hadn't missed a beat. ... The band appeared energetic as it played new songs but stuck mainly to hits, sending the audience into a frenzy when Stefani ran into the middle of the crowd to sing 'I'm Just A Girl.' "

— People magazine
Check out the source-honoluluadvertiser.com
"No Doubt certainly didn't seem like a band that had just spent half a decade on the shelf. They seemed eager to make up for lost time, dancing around in circles, spinning themselves dizzy, bounding across the stage like they were at a track meet."

— Las Vegas Review Journal

Reach Kawehi Haug at khaug@honoluluadvertiser.com.

NO DOUBT TOUR - 08/07/2009 – The Joint – Las Vegas, NV

No Doubt hits road as it searches for that spark for next CD

No Doubt's summer tour is closing out Aug. 8 at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista. (Courtesy photo)
When No Doubt went on hiatus in 2004, nobody in the band faced a bigger adjustment than Tony Kanal, the band's bassist and a key songwriting contributor for the group.

For singer Gwen Stefani, the break gave her the opportunity to launch her solo career, which she did with great success. She made two CDs ---- "Love.Angel.Music.Baby" and "The Sweet Escape" ---- each of which went platinum and allowed her to stretch out musically into a sound that liberally mixed hip-hop and dance styles in with pop. She also married former Bush singer Gavin Rossdale, with whom she has had two sons.

Guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young, who also are also married and parents, got in some family time, pursued some outside music projects and also had time for their favorite hobbies, surfing and golf, respectively.

Kanal, though, faced a different set of circumstances. By his own admission, he didn't have any real outside interests or hobbies. Since No Doubt formed in 1986, he had basically immersed himself in the group 24-7.

"I think the first couple of years, to be honest, were kind of a challenge, the vacuum that's kind of created by something that you had been doing at that point, what, 16 or 17 years," Kanal said in a recent phone interview. "It's just like wow, now what? But I did a lot of soul searching, and I worked on music for the first couple of years, doing soundtrack stuff and working with some other people. And then I kind of took a break from music for a couple of years. I had bought a new house, and my girlfriend and I put our whole lives into this house and just really dove in deep. And you know, I think looking back on it now, that was a good thing because it gave me some perspective on my life and music and stuff."

After working on his house, and realizing that the No Doubt hiatus was going to stretch on a bit longer, Kanal decided to get back to music, and this time really explore a musical life outside of No Doubt.

"I started writing with a lot of other artists and songwriters and ... pushing myself out of my comfort zone," he said. "Writing with my bandmates, as challenging as it can be at times, it's still a comfort zone when you are (working) with the same people for so long. But writing outside of my band is always a challenge. I've been in situations where I'm like, Why am I doing this?' It's not fun. But I think all those are great learning experiences and they're really important in this creative journey that you're on. Also, I think you bring all of this stuff back to the band then."

Unfortunately, the outside musical projects of Kanal and his three bandmates have yet to produce the payoff the band wants most ---- an inspired and focused musical direction for the next No Doubt CD.

The group has been working on and off for nearly three years on new music. As far back as 2006, Kanal, Young and Dumont were having preliminary writing sessions while Stefani was busy with her solo career. Last year, Stefani joined in the writing sessions as well.

"Tom, Adrian and myself did spend some time writing over the last few years, and we have a ton of great material ready to go, for Gwen to add her thing to," Kanal said. "We have that, and we also have some ideas that Tom, Gwen and myself started last year and that haven't seen their completion yet. So there's a lot of stuff that's in the works, but I think we're looking for something bigger right now to kind of help us along the way."

This brings us to this summer's No Doubt tour, which returns Aug. 8 to Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre for its final concert.

"The reason for this tour is because while we were in the writing process last year, there was something missing," Kanal said. "We haven't found that thing that's the unifying guiding light, for lack of a better way to describe it. So Gwen said, 'Hey, why don't we go play some shows?

"I think it's going to be incredibly productive and a great way to inspire some creativity for making the new record," he said.

But unlike some bands that get reacquainted with playing live by doing low-key club or theater tours, No Doubt is returning to the stage in a grand way.

The band's concert features a full visual production that includes use the movie "A Clockwork Orange" as inspiration for some of the show.

"It is one of I'd say half a dozen or so points of reference that we are using for the tour design and for wardrobe and for stage design," Kanal said. "It is one of the things we're incorporating, but there are also a few other ones that will manifest themselves."

As for the music itself, fans that come out may get a few surprises from the song selection for this summer's shows, Kanal said.

"In addition to playing all of the singles, we dug a little deeper into a couple of the records and we pulled out some songs that we haven't played in a long time that still really get us excited, (make us) feel something emotionally and are still fun to play," Kanal said.

That means the live show could include songs that span a career that began in 1987, and especially early on had its setbacks. The group's 1992 self-titled debut stiffed, keyboardist Eric Stefani, the singer's brother and a key songwriter up to that point, quit the group and the long-running romance between Kanal and Gwen Stefani ended.

But instead of spelling the demise of No Doubt, the remaining four band members stuck together and made "Tragic Kingdom," the 1995 CD that rocketed the group to stardom with the hit singles "Just a Girl," "Spiderwebs" and "Don't Speak."

The 2000 follow-up, "Return of Saturn," didn't match the popularity of the previous album, but was seen as a major step forward musically as No Doubt stretched beyond the bouncy ska-influenced pop of earlier albums to craft a broader, more sophisticated collection of pop songs.

Then came the 2002 "Rock Steady" CD, which rode hits "Hey Baby," "Hella Good" and "Underneath It All" to multiplatinum success.

In writing for the new CD, Kanal said the band is looking for the same inspiration it found for making "Rock Steady" ---- a song or theme that drives the rest of the album.

"That's what happened with 'Rock Steady,' with writing 'Hey Baby,'" Kanal said. "That was kind of our take on Jamaican dancehall music. All of a sudden, this very happy and fun party record kind of unfolded in front of us.

"Not to use a pun, but I have no doubt we're going to find that, and it's just right in front of us," he said. "And as soon as it makes itself clear, we'll be going full steam ahead."

No Doubt, with Panic at the Disco, the Sounds

When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 8

Where: Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, 2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista

Tickets: $16-$80

Info: 619-220-8497 or ticketmaster.com

Web: nodoubt.com

source .ryanseacrest.com

No Doubt Fan concert review

No Doubt!

I've been a fan of No Doubt since I was a freshman in college when I heard "Just A Girl" on the radio. At one point during that school year my friends & I tried to get tickets to go see Bush & No Doubt in concert. Being as this was right before the internet really boomed, it didn't work out too well for us. I did eventually get to see Bush while I was still in Pittsburgh but never had the chance to see No Doubt. It somehow never happened until this year. Heather was good enough to buy us tickets the day they went on sale & we just got the cheapest lawn section tickets, but we were going to see them in Irvine, which is in Orange County, where they are from & where Tom Dumont is actually from. So no matter where we were sitting I knew that it would be a fantastic show.

Getting there of course, proved to be adventurous as this was the day I found out the hard way that my gas gage was broken & we ran out of gas on the way to the show. Thanks to Jeff for coming to rescue us & helping to figure out that my car wasn't broken, it was just actually out of gas. This is the first time that's ever happen to me, so news that my car was going to be fine made be incredibly happy & relieved. This set us back quite a bit & it still took us almost an hour to get to Irvine. After parking, which wound up being free (hooray!) & walking unbelievably far to get there, we had missed both opening bands, which I admittedly wanted to see - The Sounds & Paramore. Hey, I paid for the ticket & I doubt I'd ever go see them on their own, so I really wanted to check them out.

The Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, which apparently used to be Irvine Meadows, felt almost like you were going to the fair. There are booths everywhere for food, drink, band merch & there were meet & greet tents & people playing Guitar Hero, etc, etc. I think "Ex-Girlfriend" is being released on Guitar Hero 5 this fall so that explains that. Heather & I got a free picture taken at the State Farm red carpet. Kind of cheesy, but a free picture is always fun! I grabbed myself a pretzel & lemonade & we hiked all the way up to the very top of the hill where the lawn was. I don't think I would ever knowingly buy tickets for this area but it wasn't so horrible. We saw people walking down the hill & sneaking over the fence. The fence was about waist high, not so difficult to hop. And there were people packed in like crazy. We found a little place to sit which wound up being a decent view & on a hill. Once the concert got started though we didn't care. It was so much fun to see thousands of people jumping up & down. The show was a lot of fun. I was super giddy & happy that I was finally getting to see No Doubt after all these years! And of course, that means I was camera happy...

Gwen Stefani was as cute as ever. They were at one point introducing everyone from the band & she saved Tom Dumont for last & told everyone how he used to work at that venue flipping burgers, followed by saying - He got a raise!

She had 3 outfit changes & was a lot better live than I had heard she was. She's seriously someone I've always been jealous of, but I say that in a good way. I'd love to have a better sense of style & fashion. Not to mention I think she's gorgeous!

Here are a couple videos I took. I love "New" & for good measure, "Just A Girl". Gwen does push ups! I rarely if ever tape a whole song b/c I want to enjoy the concert. If you want to see the rest check out my YouTube site.

Check out more from this source at-here

What Gwen Stefani Made Katy Perry Realize About Music Industry

Katy Perry called-in to Ryan's radio show Wednesday to share details on touring with No Doubt, her future record, and her upcoming show at the Palladium in Los Angeles, CA later this month.

Fresh from a show last night with No Doubt at the Verizon Amphitheater, Katy Perry had to tell Ryan just how awesome the legendary Gwen Stefani is.

"Gwen Stephani is the coolest woman ever," she said, "The first time I moved to Los Angeles she was the first celebrity I ever met and it was like the best experience because she lived up to all of my dreams of being like the most humble, sweetest, coolest chick ever."

Perry told Ryan that touring with Stefani and the rest of No Doubt made her realize something about the music industry as a whole.

"I tweeted how amazing it was to watch the evolution of no doubt and Gwen Stefani over about fifteen years, and I was kinda yapping a little bit talking about how the music industry has changed so much that people don't let people grow like that anymore, it's kind of a shame," she said, "in fifteen years I want to be doing the same thing," she said.

Perry's last show in Los Angeles, before she goes to make her new record, is at the Palladium on August 29. The tickets go on sale this Friday, however KIIS Club VIP members should check their inbox's for a chance to get them first!

The album she's set to begin working on is "definitely going to make people dance," she said, "the staple I'm kinda using for the record is the song 'Love Fool' by the Cardigans, it's going to be a fun record."

In the meantime, Perry will be touring, guest hosting the AT40 next week, and Presenting at the VMA's.

Not only is she presenting someone with an award, but she might be winning one herself, as she is nominated for Best Female Video for "Hot and Cold" against other nominees, Beyonce and Lady Gaga.

"I'm definitely losing, but my outfit is going to be so fierce that people are ever going to forget they existed," she said of her VMA competition.

We can't wait to see the ensemble!
Check out the source .ryanseacrest.com

Last Night: No Doubt, Katy Perry, the Sounds at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

No zoom on the iPhone, folks!
​

Last Night: No Doubt, Katy Perry, the Sounds at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Irvine; August 4, 2009.

Better than: The three previous No Doubt shows at Verizon. Maybe. Actually, they were probably all equally fantastic, unless you hate Katy Perry.

Number of dudes dressed up in Alice in Wonderland-esque garb like Gwen Stefani in the "What You Waiting For" video: Only spotted one. Which was plenty.

Do you enjoy...joy? Well, you'd probably have had a swell time at the No Doubt concert Tuesday night. Any fan you could spot were either shrieking in ecstasy, squealing with delight or gleefully laughing, and each member of each act performing seemed to be having just as good of a time.

And why not? Essentially No Doubt's victory lap for a successful tour that started in May, it was a chance for Orange County fans to once again soak in a nearly exhaustive set list of ND's most beloved singles live for the first time since 2004, and a chance for the band to play the role of "quintessential local boy(s and girl) done good." (Certainly, selling out four consecutive shows at a 16,000 capacity venue must quality as "done good," right?)

The cliched statements are obvious to anyone that saw one of the shows, but still worth noting: watching No Doubt in action, it feels like a seamless transition from where they were to where they are, despite the half-decade layoff. Sure, having played about 50 shows this tour before settling in to Irvine has something to do with it, but it's also a testament to the band's ability and their long, shared history. Despite being massively successful as a pop superstar working with the likes of Akon and Andre 3000 in the interim years, Gwen Stefani can pick right back up with the skanking fury of songs like opener "Spiderwebs," and appear just as at home doing so.


She probably works out.​

No Doubt has stayed consistent musically, but the band's ability to hold up physically is either eerie or a testament to living right. Much has been made over the year's about Stefani's meticulously maintained midsection, and her abs absolutely retain washboard status despite mothering two children with husband Gavin Rossdale. Her first outfit was designed to showcase this fact, though the latter two were a bit more demure. The entire band displayed a black-and-white look said in interviews to be inspired by A Clockwork Orange, though it also fits a new wave aesthetic the group is clearly found of, given their covers of Talk Talk and Adam Ant songs.

The rest of the band looks no worse for wear, from touring horn section/multi-instrumentalists Stephen Bradley and Gabrial McNair to drummer Adrian Young, still making the wacky, skimpy outfits thing work for him (Tuesday night was a pair of underpants and black-and-white checkered socks). There will be a time soon, fans have been assured, that No Doubt will release a new album--their first since Rock Steady in late 2001--but Tuesday night was all about recapturing what made the band so beloved in the first place, distilling 20 years of genre-melding radio hits into an hour and 45 minute set.

The set list was very similar to their 2004 Singles tour, though a couple of less well-known Tragic Kingdom tracks were included (the title track and "Different People"). The crowd was receptive to all of it, screaming out for Stefani from the moment supporting act Katy Perry ended. Fans mellowed only when the band mellowed, like during first encore song "Rocksteady" (a needed comedown after "Just a Girl"). Each song was paired with a video that provided momentary visual distraction from the band's non-stop on-stage antics. "Ex-Girlfriend" was given a '70s spy movie motif, "Bathwater" saw the band splashed in Warhol-esque primary colors.

It's important not to oversell the significance of it being a hometown show--any band of No Doubt's stature, playing in a packed venue of that size and delivering such an endless barrage of sing-along ready hits, would elicit loud, dedicated fans. Though where the band was from wasn't lost on anyone, certainly not the band themselves. When introducing her associates during an extended "Different People" instrumental break, Stefani was sure to point out bassist Tony Kanal's time at Anaheim High School, and guitarist Tom Dumont's time "flipping burgers" at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (then known as the less blatantly corporate Irvine Meadows). She worked "Orange County" into lyrics ("Orange County is so rock steady"), called us "Orange County girls" and "Orange County boys," and generally yelled "Orange County!" a lot, so there was no mistaking where the band was from (or where this concert was happening).

For as much as the fans loved No Doubt, the band did their best to reciprocate, with Stefani leaning way into the crowd at two different points, bringing up a few fans on stage for pictures with them, and opining on the "whole 'nother dimension of weirdness and trippiness" selling out four shows at Verizon entails. It's nothing that they have to do, and they certainly aren't going to go as far as Perry--who, living up to her most popular song, kissed a girl in the crowd--but it's still at least a hint that maybe the band really hasn't let international fame and unfathomable success change them all that much. Or they're at least self-aware enough to want people to think that, which is effectively just as good.

It would have been nice if openers the Sounds (who have three albums and got only 25 minutes) and Katy Perry (who has one and got 40) could have switched positions, but both were stylistically ideal choices for No Doubt support. The audience was appreciative, even if Sweden's the Sounds, who got on first at 7:15 p.m., played to a roughly 25-percent full house. Also playing their fourth Irvine show in five days, they focused on songs from June's Crossing the Rubicon like "No One Sleeps When I'm Awake," which was well-received by those thoughtful enough to show up early (or shrewd enough to avoid traffic). Not a lot of songs from their 2003 debut Living in America, though, even if their backdrop (which had to rest on top of Perry's much larger, much more colorful backdrop) is the cover of that record. Still, their neo-Missing Persons act remains endearing, and even a quarter of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater is still a lot of people.

Though given Perry's explosive success in the past year, it's not the least bit surprising she got the middle slot. Prancing (honestly, that's an apt word) across the stage in what was essentially one-piece bathing suit and fishnet stockings, Perry retained humility by several times thanking the crowd for showing up early to see her, and saying that she had just met Stefani, and wanted to "be like her when (she grows) up." Though criticisms can be (and have been!) made over Perry's music for being sexist or stupid, what it truly was Tuesday night was fun, and the inflatable strawberries, pink flamingos and light-up mic stand on stage all back that thesis up. Though it is a little weird to watch Perry singer her relatively somber ballad "Thinking of You" while in that outfit.

No Doubt brought the Sounds and Perry back on stage for encore number "Stand and Deliver," much like how Shirley Manson of Garbage and Brody Dalle (now Brody Homme) of the since-disbanded Distillers regularly joined No Doubt for a cover of Blondie's "Call Me" during ND's fall 2002 tour. The parting shot was "Sunday Morning," another song off 1995's Tragic Kingdom. Pessimistically, that could be viewed as tacit admission that the band peaked creatively more than a decade ago. Realistically, it's final proof that out of all of No Doubt's talents, their best might be knowing what their fans want.

Critic's Notebook:

Random Detail: Photographer Andrew Youssef reports that Kirsten Dunst, of Elizabethtown (and oh yeah, Spider-Man) fame, was mere steps away from him in the pit.

Personal Bias: The only thing inhibiting my joy during the show was lingering guilt over how much taller I was than most of the (mostly female) fans in the standing-room only area. At the end of "Just A Girl," when Stefani sings "had it up to here," someone next to me gestured towards my head.

By the Way: No Doubt's "reunion" tour (they never broke up!) hits Saturday at the same place it sorta started--the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista. Tickets are still available; and half-off today courtesy of the mensches over at Live Nation. (The final two dates are in Hawaii on August 11 and 12.)

No Doubt set list:
"Spiderwebs"
"Hella Good"
"Underneath It All"
"Excuse Me Mr."
"Ex-Girlfiend"
"Tragic Kingdom"
"Simple Kind of Life"
"Bathwater"
"The Guns of Navarone" (Skatalites cover)
"New"
"Hey Baby"
"Running"
"Different People"
"Don't Speak"
"It's My Life" (Talk Talk cover)
"Just a Girl"

Encore:
"Rock Steady"
"Stand and Deliver" (Adam and the Ants cover)
"Sunday Morning"

Katy Perry set list:
"Fingerprints"
"One of the Boys"
"Hot N Cold"
"Thinking of You"
"Ur So Gay"
"Waking Up in Vegas"
"Don't Stop Me Now" (Queen cover)
"I Kissed a Girl"

The Sounds set list:
"Tony the Beat"
"Dorchester Hotel"
"Hurt You"
"No One Sleeps When I'm Awake"
"Beatbox"
"Hope You're Happy Now"
Check out the source
ocweekly.com

Paul Mann: No Doubt Rocks Santa Barbara Bowl

Gwen Stefani takes center stage during No Doubt’s performance at the Santa Barbara Bowl.

(L. Paul Mann photo)
By L. Paul Mann, Noozhawk Contributor Published on 08.10.2009


Last-minute ticket sales ensured yet another sold-out show, as this summer’s Santa Barbara Bowl season began the first day of Fiesta with No Doubt.

It was easy to see why the ticket prices were some of the priciest of the year, with truck loads of equipment creating a massive arenalike stage show, easily eclipsing the visual extravaganza of The Fray concert the week before. The massive production wouldn’t have even been possible a few short years ago, before extensive renovations to the Santa Barbara Bowl venue.



Click here for a Noozhawk slide show
It has now become apparent what developers had in mind when they undertook the expensive and time-consuming project. Generations of fans arrived early to soak up the atmosphere, with more than a few families bringing their smiling offspring.

Opening act The Sounds was greeted with an uncharacteristically large crowd as throngs of fans continued to flood into the Bowl much earlier than usual.

The Sounds were formed in Helsinborg, Sweden, in 1999, but it has an ‘80s new-wave sound. Lead singer Maja Ivarsson has a look and voice very similar to singer Dale Bozzio, of 1980s band Missing Persons.

In fact, the bands have a similar sound. The Sounds has racked up an impressive touring record in the decade since it formed and has released an EP and three albums of music. Strutting around the stage, Ivarsson danced suggestively with the band’s members living up to her reputation as “one of the hottest women in rock,” according to Blend Magazine. The band received an enthusiastic response from early-bird fans.

As the sun began to fade during the set change, anticipation increased and the crowd swelled. The food and beverage area — particularly the beer lines — were swamped with people apparently overcome with the spirit of Fiesta. Nearly everyone had found their place as the day turned to twilight and a nearly full moon cast a bright glow in the sky. A large white curtain fell, covering the stage in darkness, and fans began to scream with excitement. Then, all at once, the curtains parted, revealing a massive multitiered stage with No Doubt band members dressed in all white. The band had come a long way from the No Doubt I had witnessed playing in the now-defunct Graduate nightclub in Isla Vista, in the early 1990s.



I used to run the light board or spotlight for Luners Pro Sound and Lighting back in the grunge days of rock and roll. The job didn’t pay much, but it was a great opportunity to see some of California greatest touring bands of the era. No Doubt had a much more traditional ska sound back then, and nobody at that time would have predicted that they would have become the super group they are today. But that all of changed with the 1995 release of “Tragic Kingdom,” with Gwen Stefani helping pen hit songs such as Just a Girl.

The songs came out of the real-life tragedy and drama in the band’s life, including the early suicide of original band member John Spence, the departure of Stefani’s brother, Eric, to pursue an animation career, and the end of a seven-year relationship between Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal.

Stefani emerged as a role model for modern American women, with a strong domineering personality while singing of life’s daily challenges of a girl in a man’s world. The album garnered the band worldwide attention and went on to become one of the bestselling albums in music history, with more than 16 million sold to date. The band has won numerous awards, including two Grammys. A five-year hiatus, punctuated by Stefani’s phenomenal solo career, seemed only to heighten the band’s mercurial appeal.

Fans leaped to their feet and screamed with excitement as the band exploded on stage for its triumphant return to Santa Barbara. Looking more like a high school Olympic swimmer than a middle-age mom, Stefani was every bit the pop diva superstar and danced maniacally about the multileveled stage. But Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young held their own dancing and playing furiously, to keep pace with the mercurial Stefani.

The massive backdrop exploded periodically in colorful graphics unique to each song, while large video screens followed the band’s antics. Halfway through the frenzied set, Stefani disappeared, and Stephen Bradley and Gabriel McNair moved from their backing vocal and keyboard location to take center stage.

The masterful trumpet and trombone player respectively began to lead the rest of the band in an indulgence of reggae and ska music and dancing. Then the lights went out and the stage was reset, before a futuristic backdrop was revealed and Stefani pranced back onstage dressed like a member of the Jetsons cartoon family. The new set featured newer material before the band climaxed with some of its biggest hits, including Just a Girl, which had proud moms and daughters singing along in tandem.

It was a great night “just” to be a girl, or a guy who gets to watch.

— L. Paul Mann is a Noozhawk contributor

NO DOUBT TOUR - 8/05/2009 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl

2009 Tour in Orange County/Irvine 8/4/09

No Doubt "It's My Life" Backdrop Full Video Live on 2009 Tour Orange County Irvine 8/4/09

No Doubt "Tragic Kingdom" Live on 2009 Tour in Orange County/Irvine 8/4/09

No Doubt "Sunday Morning" Live Front Row on 2009 Tour in Orange County/Irvine 8/4/09

videos thanks to MissKittyKatMeow

NO DOUBT TOUR - 8/04/2009 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

NO DOUBT TOUR - 8/02/2009 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

No Doubt & Kids Dancing with Paramore Onstage Irvine Meadows August 2nd 2009



No Doubt, The Sounds, And Paramore August 2nd live - Stand and Deliver

8/2/09 in Irvine @ Verizon Ampitheatre

No Doubt back in their hometown area of Orange County on tour after a 5 yr hiatus! Performing "Stand & Deliver" with Paramore and The Sounds on 8/2/09 in Irvine @ Verizon Ampitheatre

Hard-core fans rejoice as No Doubt rocks mightily in Irvine

It’s been incredibly too long since No Doubt has played in Orange County. Thousands of hard-core fans that lined up outside of Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine on Friday night had waited five long years for an official No Doubt tour –- and they were buzzing with excitement.

Various No Doubt songs (and one misplaced Backstreet Boys track) could be heard blasting from car stereos throughout the parking lot. A merchandise tent smartly placed just outside the box office stayed swarmed by fans, loads of swag snatched up by girls everywhere sporting Gwen Stefani’s Tragic Kingdom look of track pants and cutoff white wife-beaters to the more fashionista/ runway style of her solo days.
Clearly these fans were hungry for this return.VIEW PHOTO SLIDE SHOW

Friday night marked the first of four sold-out shows at the venue, and it played big to the hometown crowd, the group not having lost any steam since the tour began in late May. Stefani along with bassist Tony Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont, drummer Adrian Young and horns and keys men Stephen Bradley and Gabriel McNair emerged comfortably and happy and playful before the ecstatic audience.

I also caught the July 22 show at Gibson Amphitheatre, the first of three dates in Los Angeles, but this gig had a very different feel. Unlike at Gibson, Stefani shared personal asides, letting the audience know that Dumont used to flip burgers years ago at Verizon, when it was called Irvine Meadows. Band introductions were also personalized, as she threw in the names of high schools and colleges each member attended. Stefani sometimes laughed as she announced the various cities they once called home: “All the way from Anaheim … Irvine … Cypress.”

And she screamed “ORANGE COUNTY!” so many times between songs, I ran out of fingers and had to start counting on my toes to keep track. I think we all knew where we were –- yet every time she addressed the crowd that way, the place went nuts.

Stefani also took time out to read aloud some of the colorful signs fans held up in the pit: “I wanna do push-ups with you” … “Marry me” … “Can I take a pic with you?” She took one fan up on his offer for a photo –- and he was so nervously excited, he couldn’t get his camera to work. After about a minute of fiddling with the machine, Stefani and the fan figured it out; he literally leapt with joy when he turned it around to view the photo.

Another sign caught her eye before the band went into “Different People,” a piece of paper that read one fan had flown all the way from Japan just to see this show. Stefani playfully asked to see a passport –- and he instantly coughed it up. “That’s incredible, unbelievable,” she said as she called him up on stage and had Dumont take a snapshot of the excited fan with her and Kanal.



This was also probably the loudest show I’ve ever heard at Verizon –- and I saw Iron Maiden here last year. It’s as if the county said, “Eh, it’s No Doubt. Let ‘em rip.” My ears are still ringing. Between the intense volume (which greatly highlighted Young’s talent as a drummer) and the shrieking of fans between songs, anyone who sat in the orchestra or loge is probably deaf now.

But it was worth it to hear No Doubt blast flawlessly through its many hits -– to revel in the opening rush of “Spiderwebs” or ride along as they calmed the pace of the hyper track “Excuse Me Mr.,” then got revved up again for “Ex-Girlfriend,” during which Stefani didn’t drop any f-


bombs this time, unlike at Gibson. Slower tracks “Don’t Speak,” “A Simple Kind of Life” and “Running” had fans swaying and roaring along. (Read more about the set in our review of the band’s stop May 22 at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista.)

This is when Stefani is at her best. These songs have the unique ability to take you back to that place where you actually feel your heart breaking all over again. Many of us have experienced our own Gwen-Tony breakup, so we can relate.

For more than one generation of hurt or yearning women Stefani’s best moments have given voice to raw emotions they haven’t always been able to express. She’s not afraid to bring the crazy out (as she screams “I’m jealous! I’m so jealous” in “Ex- Girlfriend”); she’s capable of packing her lyrics with thoughts every woman has had at one point, yet would never dare share with a man. They’re like tear- and blood-soaked pages ripped from her diary -– something unique to No Doubt’s records and noticeably absent from her solo efforts.

That said, after five years of dormancy –- eight if you consider that the band hasn’t released a new album since Rock Steady in 2001 -– this set does seem a little too routine. And yet, although it’s easy to feel bitterly cheated that the only new material they’re offering is a cover of Adam and the Ants’ “Stand and Deliver” (which this night found all of the members of opening acts the Sounds and Paramore joining in), that didn’t ruin my good time. Or anyone else’s, given the insane response.

Let’s hope this tour does get the band’s creative juices flowing, so we can hope for a new album and yet another tour in … 2010? Hopefully that’s not just wishful thinking.

Paramore and the Sounds have been out on the road with No Doubt since the tour started. The former, an emo-pop group with a big rock sound, carried well throughout the amphitheater; it often seemed that there were just as many Paramore fans as No Doubt crazies in attendance (the “Twilight” shirts kind of gave that away).

“This entire summer has been so surreal … this is the last full weekend of the tour and we want to go out with a bang,” vocalist Hayley Williams announced. I caught Paramore a couple years ago at the Grove of Anaheim and the group has certainly gained some confidence since then. Perhaps Williams and her male counterparts have taken some notes from their headlining mentors.

She runs, jumps and crawls all over the stage without missing a beat, and had girls (and a few boys) screaming “We love Hayley!” at the top of their lungs between each track. Williams shared that the group will have a new record out next month, schooling the crowd (with the promise of a quiz afterward) that they need to remember three things: Paramore; new record, Brand New Eyes; Sept. 29. The group played two songs from that coming disc, “Ignorance” and “Where the Lines Overlap” -– yet hard-core fans already seemed to know all of the lyrics to both.

The Sounds also delivered a stellar performance. As the sun set behind the amphitheater the Swedish pop-rock group with a heavy emphasis on synthesizer danced and rocked out on stage. Vocalist Maja Ivarsson came out sporting windblown Farrah Fawcett hair and black short-shorts that showed off her long, lean, tan legs –- which had the boys drooling. Of course the guys in the group dressed up, too –- in tight-tight pants and sweat headbands.

The group’s funky rock blend had fans dancing in their seats, with songs off of its June release Crossing the Rubicon going over well. The best of those tracks is the latest single, “No One Sleeps When I’m Awake,” which, Ivarsson shared, is about the group’s longtime dream to someday tour the world. Once they finish doing so with No Doubt, the Sounds will return in fall on their own headlining tour.

No Doubt plays again tonight, Sunday and Tuesday (Katy Perry replaces Paramore on the last date). A limited amount of tickets remain, $25-$90. Note: The pictures, by the Associated Press, are from a May 31 show in Texas. The Register was not permitted to photograph Friday’s concert.

No Doubt: Spiderwebs / Hella Good / Underneath It All / Excuse Me Mr. / Ex-Girlfriend / End It on This / A Simple Kind of Life / Bathwater / New/ Hey Baby / Running / Different People / Don’t Speak / It’s My Life / Just a Girl
Encore: Rock Steady / Stand and Deliver / Sunday Morning

Paramore: Misery Business/ For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic/ Pressure/ Ignorance/ Crushcrushcrush/ When it Rains/ Where the Lines Overlap/ That’s What You Get/ Let the Flames Begin/ Decode

The Sounds: Tony the Beat/ Dorchester Hotel/ 4 Songs & a Fight/ Beatbox/ No One Sleeps When I’m Awake/ Hope You’re Happy Now
Check out the source-soundcheck.freedomblogging.com

8/01/2009 Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

NO DOUBT TOUR-8/01/2009 Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater