Bon Jovi Backs Courtney Love Against Guitar Hero 5 Cameos

[Earnest Cavalli]

Bon Jovi Backs Courtney Love Against Guitar Hero 5 Cameos

Though Nirvana effectively signaled the death knell for Bon Jovi's halcyon days, singer Jon Bon Jovi has come out against the use of Kurt Cobain in Guitar Hero 5.

"I don't know that I would have wanted it either," Bon Jovi told the BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8259846.stm].

"To hear someone else's voice coming out of a cartoon version of me? I don't know. It sounds a little forced."

Guitar Hero 5 infamously features an unlockable Cobain simulacrum [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/94274-Kurt-Cobain-Comes-to-Guitar-Hero-5]. His suicide in 1994 ensured that Activision's use of his likeness would be seen as creepy at best. At worst, it makes the company seem as if it prides itself on being able to punch children in the eye.

Bon Jovi's eloquent, almost diplomatic response follows recent accusations from Cobain's widow, in which she claims to have been deceived by publisher.

Meanwhile, the two surviving members of Nirvana (Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl and Washingston state politico Krist Novaselic) issued a statement of their own, saying they were "shocked and disappointed" and urged Activivion to remove the character's unlockable status.

That, of course, will never happen. Activision is making handfuls of cash off of the rotted corpse of Cobain and short of a nocturnal visit from a trio of Dickensian ghosts, I don't see the firm's higher ups changing their mind.

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[Aeryn Seoung]

Activision should stop being idiots and respect the wishes of his family/past band members.
What imbeciles.

 

[JediMB]

...People overreacting, much? It's been fifteen fucking years.

They acquired the rights to put Cobain in the game, obviously, so people can't demand they take him out again after the game's been released.

 

[DrunkWithPower]

Gaaaah, Bon Jovi should be happy that somebody actually wants to sing his songs besides druken 40 year olds in a bar.

 

[JediMB]

So, hey, where's my "Guitar Hero: Robbie Williams", anyway?

 

[Aeryn Seoung]

God if they put Robbie Williams in a Guitar Hero game I'm going to cry.

 

[Nalbis]

I really do not see the problem? Am I missing something? What is actually wrong wtih having him in the game? I think its quite cool actually, i'd pick Cobain to be in my band (or to play as).

Good for Activision in my opinion, clearly BJ and others are just being stupid. They'll get over it.

 

[messy]

Gaaaah, Bon Jovi should be happy that somebody actually wants to sing his songs besides druken 40 year olds in a bar.

pretty much this.

He did living on a prayer, a song that only works for karaoke. I think of all the musicians to have a go at rock band/guitar hero he's the one with the least "right" to do so

 

[olee12343]

Good thing I stopped playing Guitar Hero at Guitar Hero 2...

 

[Aeryn Seoung]

I really do not see the problem? Am I missing something? What is actually wrong wtih having him in the game? I think its quite cool actually, i'd pick Cobain to be in my band (or to play as).

Good for Activision in my opinion, clearly BJ and others are just being stupid. They'll get over it.

Truer words where never said.
I'm pretty neutral when it comes to these things but the Nirvana fan in me tells me that Activision should respect the wishes of Courtney Love, Dave Grohl etc. The ass inside me says they should suck it up and realise it's not really a big deal.

 

[BlindTom]

1. Spend a life opposing mindless consumerism
2. Become embroiled in mindless consumerism
3. Tragic Suicide
4. Still be used as a tool for mindless consumerism
5. ???
6. Proffit... For Activision...

Regardless of what you think of Kobain, his music, or the usual ethics surrounding a situation like this, this is undeniably a special case. I can't think of a more fundamental way to contradict a mans dying wish.

 

[The Bandit]

I really do not see the problem? Am I missing something? What is actually wrong wtih having him in the game? I think its quite cool actually, i'd pick Cobain to be in my band (or to play as).

Good for Activision in my opinion, clearly BJ and others are just being stupid. They'll get over it.

See, that's what I thought at first too. Then, suddenly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UuAoEW5MbI

 

[AceDiamond]

I really do not see the problem? Am I missing something? What is actually wrong wtih having him in the game? I think its quite cool actually, i'd pick Cobain to be in my band (or to play as).

Good for Activision in my opinion, clearly BJ and others are just being stupid. They'll get over it.

See, that's what I thought at first too. Then, suddenly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UuAoEW5MbI

Meh, after seeing it 3 times it's hard to get worked up about it. Besides which, Grohl, Novoselic, and Love all signed away Kurt's image so they have nobody to blame but themselves and their inability to read fine print. Although admittedly Courtney Love can't even read normal print.

 

[Gladion]

Nobody cared about John Lennon and George Harrison when EA did it, so what's the fuss all about now?

 

[ace_of_something]

I can see why they're upset. And Activision is being short sighted. Sure they're going to make gobs of money but what happens when artists see how they are ignoring these people and decided 'no, they will not have my songs' for Guitar Hero Umpteen?

 

[AceDiamond]

Nobody cared about John Lennon and George Harrison when EA did it, so what's the fuss all about now?

I dunno apparently it's a sin against music to have a digital representation of someone who's been dead for over a decade singing music he was idealistically against in life.

Nevermind the fact that if I wanted to I could make Tom Morello and Slash play some horrible Linkin Park song on GH III. Granted neither of them are dead but that's besides the point. The point being that Kurt's former bandmates and widow are claiming outrage over something they signed over in the first place.

And nobody made this big a deal over Jimi Hendrix in World Tour. Nobody.

 

[Svenparty]

And nobody made this big a deal over Jimi Hendrix in World Tour. Nobody.

I guess if you choke on your own vomit(Rather than a shotgun) your not going to be represented well.

Plus Cobain DID kill himself because he hated consumerism so this is an amusingly bad move.

 

[73loup]

The remaining members of Nirvana actually asked for a legitimate compromise: the asked for a patch to lock Kurt to only Nirvana songs. So while being poor form for him to be in the game at all (or even their music for that matter, but not going to fix that) it would at least maintain some dignity for him since he was so anti-consumerism.

Also, I'm pretty sure the band has no rights to the music or his image and that Courtney Love is the sole presider over his estate.