Marilyn Manson, RIAA Speak Out On The Colorado Nightmare
Manson Cancels Denver Show

In the continuing debate about whether aggressive music influenced the two Columbine High School shooters, rocker Marilyn Manson and Hilary Rosen, president/CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, have put in their two cents on the issue.

   "Like all Americans, we are shocked and pained about the shooting in Littleton yesterday," says Rosen in a prepared statement released late Wednesday (April 21). "In the coming days, we may find out more about the cause of this tragedy, but we do know that music does not drive teenagers to violent despair, nor does it put guns and weapons in the hands of children. It's too easy to make music a scapegoat."

   Surprisingly, Manson doesn't actually address the important issue at hand, but rather offers some terse condolences to the victims. "I have been asked to comment by numerous news organizations on the Colorado school tragedy," says Manson in a statement released Thursday (April 22) afternoon. "It's tragic and disgusting anytime young people's lives are taken in an act of senseless violence. My condolences go out to the students and their families."

   Manson's concert in Denver, which is near Littleton, Colo., for April 30 at Red Rocks Amphitheater, has been canceled at the mayor's request.    The early news reports tossed around the names of Manson and Rammstein, though no evidence has surfaced that the shooters -- Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris of the Trenchcoat Mafia -- were fans of either band. KMFDM, on the other hand, has been linked to the Klebold and Harris because the Trenchcoat Mafia's Web site featured lyrics to the group's songs "Son of a Gun," "Waste," and "Stray Bullet." KMFDM's Sascha Konietzko issued his statement soon after the shootings (allstar, April 21). Rammstein couldn't be reached for comment.

-- Carrie Borzillo