Archives for November 2023

Deepika Padukone, Karan Johar, Kajol, Janhvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor, Mukesh Ambani, Isha Ambani and many other celebs were present to attend the glamorous event

In terms of versatility, few guitarists have anything on Alex Skolnick. When he’s not slaying audiences with blitzing riffs and solos with thrash-metal titans Testament, he’s blending bebop and rock with his own jazz group, the Alex Skolnick Trio.

Clearly, he’s learned a thing or two about what to play and when, but as Skolnick points out, his evolution on the electric guitar is ongoing. “I’ve constantly got my ear out for good tips, and I’m always trying to improve my playing,” he reveals. “I notice that about my favorite players — they don’t stop. Even when they get into their 60s and 70s, they’re as passionate about learning as they were when they started.”

One might assume Skolnick’s level of proficiency requires maximum thought at all times, but somewhat surprisingly, he notes that he’s aspiring to reach a place where he doesn’t have to think at all. “That’s kind of a crazy goal I have — to be able to play a piece of music as easily as I would use a fork. I want it to be as automatic as that,” he says. “There are things I play that are effortless, but it’s certainly not everything. There’s a level of musicianship I have in my head. We’ll see if I get there.”

If you’re looking to take your playing somewhere new, get started by checking out Skolnick’s top five tips.

1. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

“This is very hard for many people to wrap their heads around. To be able to improve as a guitarist, you need to be honest with yourself about what you’ve got under your fingertips. Let’s face it: We all want to be great guitarists and play at a high level. There’s the aspirational side of it, but the reality can be something different. You must learn to accept where you are currently to be able to focus on the things you need to work on, and that takes humility and maturity — two traits not always common to guitarists.

“How many times have you seen a friend say, ‘I can do that’ after they hear some insane guitar solo? Well, maybe they can’t do that yet, and that’s okay. But they’ll never be able to do it if they’re not honest about the work they need to put in.

“You might be the best guitarist in your household, or maybe you’re the best on your block. But go to a big city, and guess what? You won’t be the best. There are tons of people better than you. That’s okay, too. Accept it and put in the time to practice.”

2. ENJOY THE PROCESS OF WORKING TO IMPROVE

“Years ago, when I was just starting to play, I came across this giant guitar instructional book that had far too much information for me to process at the time. There was every imaginable scale, mode, fingering and chord in this thing. I had no idea what to do with it. I thought, Oh, my God. I have to absorb all this stuff? It seemed impossible.

“Then I heard Day Tripper by the Beatles. It had that cool riff that sounded like surf guitar, and I thought, I think I can play that. I picked up the guitar and played it really close to the bridge of the guitar so I got that twangy sound. I had fun with it, and I felt inspired. Then I played The James Bond Theme, with the same kind of surf guitar sound. I had a great time just playing music. It made me feel good about myself and the progress I was making. And as a result, the idea of taking a look at that instructional book didn’t seem so overwhelming to me. Those little steps made the big steps seem reachable.”

3. DON’T TRY TO BE SOMEBODY YOU’RE NOT

“It’s easy to be swayed by the crowd. Sometimes a guitarist comes along that everybody seems to talk about, and you might be tempted to copy that player. It’s one thing to appreciate a guitarist, but if they have such a unique style, maybe it’s best to steer clear of adopting it.

“I remember when I was taking lessons from Joe Satriani. At the time, everybody was going crazy about Yngwie Malmsteen, and I liked what he was doing, too. Joe kind of told me, ‘That’s fine, but don’t get too into him. Don’t try to sound like him, because in a few years there will be somebody else who’s the hot guy.’ Which is funny, because a few years later Joe was the guy everybody was talking about. People were learning everything on Surfing With The Alien, but I tried to keep my distance, because I remembered what Joe had told me. It was kind of funny, really. Joe was a great teacher and a huge influence on me, but I knew I shouldn’t try to sound like him. He was doing his thing, but it wasn’t supposed to be my thing.”

4. DON’T LET NEGATIVITY BRING YOU DOWN

“It’s easy to get depressed about your musicianship. As I said about going to other cities and hearing great players, you might go, ‘Oh, man, I thought I was good, but I suck!’ You don’t even have to go to a big city; all you have to do is scroll on your phone and you’ll hear amazing guitarists. But it’s important to stay positive. Don’t beat yourself up. It’s one thing to be realistic, but that doesn’t have to turn into negativity.

“Negativity takes on many forms. I know plenty of amazing players who don’t get
press or awards. They could easily focus on what they don’t have, but they don’t because it won’t get them anywhere. They’re out there doing it. They love playing music, and that’s what really matters.

“I’m a weird mutant. I love metal, but I identify as jazz. I’ve gotten recognition, but
I see fans online say things like, ‘Why don’t people talk about Alex Skolnick more?’
I never think of it that way. I’m actually pretty happy about the recognition I’ve received. To me, it’s about what happens when I play and what I offer to the world. Sammy Hagar has seven Ferraris — I don’t have one Ferrari. If I wanted one, I could go into some other business and get one. But I enjoy what I do. I wouldn’t change anything.”

5. PRACTICE MATERIAL YOU HAVEN’T MASTERED, PERFORM MATERIAL YOU HAVE MASTERED, AND RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENCE

“This is kind of a summary of a lot of what I’ve talked about. It’s about accepting where you are on the guitar while understanding where you still want to be. It’s important to take some chances live, but the stuff you play in front of people shouldn’t take too much thought. The parts you play should be fully absorbed and feel fairly automatic. That way, you can have a great time interacting with the band and the audience. It should be a celebration of how far you’ve come. There’s material that fits that comfort level.

“On the other hand, there’s material that doesn’t fall into that category — ideas you’re working on and things you aspire to. This is the stuff you should keep private for the time being. Keep practicing it and working on it. One day you’ll be able to present it to people.

“This might sound kind of obvious, but believe me, it’s something I do in my own life. There are things that I play live that I just don’t need to practice anymore — I’ve got them down. However, there are things that you haven’t heard me play yet because I’m working on them. That stuff is all delegated to practice time. The key thing is, I want to have great performances onstage and productive practice sessions, and the two aren’t the same. So don’t get them mixed up. If it’s not ready for prime time, save it until the time is right, and then all of your practice will feel worth it.”

Another day, another trip to the Golden Arches for Bennifer 2.0.

Superstar couple Jennifer Lopez, 54, and Ben Affleck, 51, were spotted enjoying fast food nirvana in a drive-thru at McDonalds in Los Angeles on Friday.

The outing makes it a grand total of five times this month that the pair have tucked into a burger and fries. 

And JLo couldn’t have been happier about it, as she flashed her megawatt smiled while in the passenger seat of Ben’s black SUV. 

Rocking a coral hoodie and going virtually makeup free, the ‘Maid in Manhattan’ star ditched the glam for the cheat meal excursion, as her handsome hubby kept it casual as well in his sweatshirt and jeans.

Happiest meal: Superstar couple Jennifer Lopez, 54, and Ben Affleck , 51, were spotted enjoying fast food nirvana in a drive-thru at McDonalds in Los Angeles on Friday

They love it! The outing makes it a grand total of five times this month that the pair have tucked into a burger and fries.

Casual meal: The ‘Maid in Manhattan’ star ditched the glam for the cheat meal excursion, as her handsome hubby kept it casual as well in his sweatshirt and jeans

Just the day before, Jlo and Ben were seen grabbing another to-go order at the home of the Big Mac, although the ‘Dear Ben’ songstress initially didn’t seem as excited this time around. 

She failed to raise a smile as Ben walked into the fast food chain and picked up a bag of food and a soda.

Moments later, however, the picture perfect pair, who were recently seen having a tense conversation, looked like they didn’t have a care in the world, as the stars chowed down on their burgers before Ben could even drive out of the parking lot. 

And the cheat meals do not appear to be keeping JLo from maintaining her incredible physique. 

On the same day as her McDonald’s pit stop, Jennifer was seen in sexy lingerie for her collaboration with Intimissimi that ties in with her new album This Is Me… Now.

The star was flawless in her jaw-dropping snaps featuring a black lacy ensemble for the Italian lingerie brand.  

The photos were flawless, of course, as  J-lo is widely known for keeping a clean diet and focusing on her health.

‘Throughout the years I’ve learned the importance of maintaining a healthier […] diet,’ she previously told People. ‘I still eat some of the foods I love, but in moderation. I don’t deprive myself.’ 

Chow down: And JLo couldn’t have been happier about it, as she flashed her megawatt smiled while in the passenger seat of Ben’s black SUV

Check it out: Jlo made sure the bags had all the goodies that they ordered

Despite the strict regimen, J-Lo recently said she she felt ‘insecure’ about her body image after giving birth to twins.

The singer, 54, welcomed twins Max and Emme Muñiz, now 15, into the world back in 2008.

Jennifer made the revelation while presenting her trainer Tracy Anderson with the outstanding achievement in fitness prize at the Daytime Beauty Awards.

She said: ‘I met Tracy right after I had my twins. I called her at a time when I was feeling insecure and uncertain, wondering if I would ever get back to how I was before—as most new moms do after giving birth.’

Return trip: Just the day before, Jlo and Ben were seen grabbing another to-go order at the home of the Big Mac, although the ‘Dear Ben’ songstress initially didn’t seem as excited this time around

No time to waste: The stars chowed down on their burgers before Ben could even drive out of the parking lot

Burgers do a body good: On the same day as her McDonald’s pit stop, Jennifer was seen in sexy lingerie for her collaboration with Intimissimi

J-Lo added: ‘She came into my life and helped me embrace the new me and help me to be and to realise that I could be stronger than I ever had before.’ 

Jennifer and Ben’s love story is Hollywood legend, as they rekindled their romance in early 2021 after calling off an engagement back in 2004.

They would go on tie the knot in Las Vegas in July 2022. 

An “Asda-crazy” toddler has become a popular mascot in his local stores and is so obsessed with the supermarket that he even has his own uniform.

Whilst some children might get bored assisting their parents with the food shopping, one-year-old Aiden jumps at the chance to get invited by his mother, Amanda. She said he gets excited everytime they drive past the Greater Manchester branches. And said he is devastated everytime he is unable to step inside.

The sweet toddler proudly owns a mega collection which features a hi-vis jacket, a name badge, a scanner, shopping bags, a basket and toy Asda delivery vans. He loves the food store so much that his family believes he will work there one day. And his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed as the supermarket recently paid tribute to Aiden and said everyone “thinks he is adorable”.

Aiden can often be found in his uniform at the Radcliffe and Rochdale stores, reports Manchester Evening News. His mum Amanda said: “Aiden will ask to go to Asda randomly and out of the blue. He waves when we pass in the car and has cried when he can’t go. We all say he’s probably going to go to Asda for his first job whilst at college or uni when he’s older!” She added: “Aiden is Asda-crazy and has been for a very long time. His dad, Mark, bought him his first Asda delivery truck as he was forever spotting them everywhere we went. He loves it and has since added to his fleet.”

Aiden has now become a firm favourite among Asda colleagues, with service section leader Stuart, from the Radcliffe store, saying: “Aiden is a delightful little boy when he is in store pushing his little trolley and he loves to scan the shopping through as well. Everyone in the store thinks he is so adorable.” On Asda’s Facebook account, one customer joked the tot should be on the payroll for being such a good advertisement for the store.

“He is so cute,” she said. “Needs to be on the payroll as he is such a good advert for Asda.” Someone else commented: “He is so cute. He needs to be in the Asda Christmas advert.” A third person wrote: “Wonderful young man. Maybe manager one day at Asda.” Another user said: “Aw, I shop at Asda Radcliffe but I have never been fortunate enough to bump into this little one.”

Both of the Steelers top receivers have circus catches at training camp.