| CMU Daily - on the inside 27 Aug 2002 |
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The songs:
The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony
Fatboy Slim – Praise You
Blur – Coffee & TV.
What movie’s soundtrack? Answer tomorrow
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FUN, FIRE, RAIN AND ROCK – THE AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY
The August Bank Holiday has become something of a mecca for music fans with numerous music events taking place over the extended weekend. Despite some mixed weather, everything seemed to go to plan, except at Leeds…
Musically the LEEDS FESTIVAL was deemed a success, but promoters Mean Fiddler may struggle to gain use of the Temple Newsam site again next year have a small number of festival-goers went on the rampage. After Sunday night’s Foo Fighters set some 500 fans started to cause trouble, attacking police with bottles and debris and setting fire to 71 toilet units. Similar violence at the end of last year’s Leeds Festival led to local authorities initially refusing Mean Fiddler permission to use the site. The festival promoters appealed and got the decision revoked, but after this weekend many think they might not be so successful next year.
West Yorkshire Police’s Inspector Nick Dyson told reporters: "Police say the violence, which is believed to have involved several hundred people, was determined and sustained and have condemned it as mindless." Local councillor Lee Benson said people living in the area were "disgusted" by the trouble and added that he thought the violence considerably strengthened the local’s case to stop the event happening there. "The main objection has always been the damage which the event does to the park.” he told NME.com. “The violence over the past two year has just been an add on. Local people will be disgusted by what has happened and they will be determined to fight on."
But Mean Fiddler were optimistic. Calling the trouble ‘regrettable’ Mean Fiddler MD Melvin Benn said: "There were a series of incidents involving up to 500 people in which 71 toilets and one porta-cabin were damaged by fire. No festival goers were injured. Police and security attended, contained and dealt with the situation. In the context of the first sell-out Leeds Festival which saw 50,000 people enjoy the live return of Guns 'N' Roses after nine years and the return of the Prodigy after four years and three days of the best music festival in Britain, the actions of under 1% of the crowd, while regrettable, should not be allowed to detract from a very successful weekend which has put Leeds Festival firmly on the UK music map. We will not give in to the mindless minority and will strive to make it more successful next year. The Leeds Festival will have a very long and successful future."
Leed’s sister fest and the seminal August Bank Holiday event – the READING FESTIVAL – went off pretty much trouble free. There the decision of Ash to play their full set, despite doctors warning drummer Rock McMurray about performing for more than ten minutes after being involved in a bus crash in the US, was the main story of the weekend. Word is the Foo Fighters stole the show on Saturday while the Prodigy put in a storming performance on Sunday. Pulp and The Strokes also delivered the goods.
The most recent addition to the Carling Weekend – Glasgow’s GIG ON THE GREEN – could have done with bigger crowds, local press putting down poor ticket sales to a lack of stars on the line up. Only a handful of the Reading / Leeds line up make it to the Scottish event, though those that did enjoyed probably the best weather of the weekend. Pulp, The White Stripes and Janes Addiction all entertained an enthusiastic crowd and The Strokes, while criticised by some as “not being big enough for a headline act” certainly impressed those that had bought tickets.
Up in the Northwest, whatever the future of its club home, CREAMFIELDS 2002 in hometown Liverpool was a huge success – the threat of rain never really materialising – the crowd seemed up for having one of hell of a party. The announcement by Faithless that this would be their last live gig for years made for increased anticipation, and the headline act did not disappoint, with Underworld also impressing the eager crowd.
Also in Liverpool, Beatles fans from across the world celebrated the life of George Harrison at the 2002 MATHEW STREET FESTIVAL. George’s sister Louise Harrison opened the event which centres on the street where the group played their first gigs at the famous Cavern Club. She said: "George certainly has contributed his share to putting Liverpool on the map but also for raising people's awareness as to everybody on this planet being one family." Nearly half a million people are estimated to have watched 150 bands from 22 countries performing at more than 40 venues across the city over the weekend.
Down in the capital the NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL went down well. Crowds peaked at an estimated 850,000, but arrests were minimal. The Notting Hill Carnival Trust had employed an extra 600 stewards and slightly altered the carnival's route to help encourage safety. Debbie Gardener from the Trust told the BBC: "We have worked closely with the Metropolitan Police Service to devise a strategy that we believe to be the most effective means of ensuring the safety of all participants and attendee's at the carnival. Thanks to the Greater London Authority, we have been able to execute a plan that involves the recruitment of 940 stewards from the local community who are committed to the success of Carnival."
And finally, in a muddy North Wales field, the FAENOL FESTIVAL, was also considered a success with a string of Welsh performers - Martine McCutcheon, Claire Sweeney and David Shannon and a number of welsh language acts entertaining the crowds!
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JAY-Z PAYS TRIBUTE TO AALIYAH
Jay-Z marked the first anniversary of the death of RnB star Aaliyah by stopping his live show at Detroit's DTE Energy Music Theater on Sunday night. After an abrupt pause in the proceedings at 10pm Jay-Z, joined by the rest of his Roc-a-Fella family, including co-CEO Damon Dash (who was engaged to Aaliyah at the time of her death), turned their backs to the audience and walked to the rear of the stage for the thirty-second memorial. Fans sparked their lighters as Aaliyah's "Try Again" played softly over the speakers and Jay-Z said: "We love you. We miss y'all."
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ASHANTI ACCEPTS AWARD DESPITE CONTROVERSY
R&B star Ashanti accepted an ‘Entertainer of the Year’ award at a US awards ceremony for female sould / r’n’b performers – the Soul Train Lady Of Soul Awards. The awards was delivered despite complaints from some music fans that she didn't deserve the title - more than 28,000 signatures had been gathered on an internet petition decrying the decision to bestow the entertainer of the year mantle on the young performer. The petition said: "It is an insult to other entertainers who are more deserving of this award and to Aretha Franklin (who the award is named after). Ashanti simply lacks singing ability and stage presence". Ashanti didn’t mention the controversy in her speech, and most of the stars interviewed back stage refused to comment.
The other awards made at the ceremony included:
R&B single, solo: Aaliyah - Rock the Boat
R&B single, group, band, or duo: Destiny's Child - Emotion
R&B/soul album, solo: Alicia Keys - Songs in A Minor
R&B/soul album, group, band, or duo: Destiny's Child - Survivor
R&B/soul or rap song: Aaliyah - Rock the Boat
R&B/soul or rap new artist of the year, solo: Ashanti - Foolish
R&B/soul or rap new artist, group, band or duo: Isyss featuring Jadakiss -Night & Day
R&B/soul or rap music video: -Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott - One Minute Man
Gospel album: Yolanda Adams - Believe
Lena Horne Award for outstanding career achievement: Angela Bassett
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BOYBAND STAR STARTS SPACE TRAINING
N Sync’s Lance Bass has started a week of NASA training today in preparation for a possible flight to the international space station, even though the trip is still up in the air because of contract issues with the Russians who will get him there. Bass, and two other crew members, are supposed to blast off from Kazakhstan on 28 Oct in a Russian Soyuz capsule that will remain at the space station and serve as a fresh lifeboat. But, as previously reported, Bass' participation is in question after the star’s financial backers failed to pay initial fees. The payment issues meant Bass received a weeks less training at the Russian space camp than his two co-team members, but NASA have said he will have received enough training if and when the space mission takes off.
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HMV SIGN UP TO DIGITAL DOWNLOAD SERVICE
HMV are due to go into partnership with a digital music service that will let music fans legally download tracks from mainstream artists. The retailer is expected to confirm this week that it has reached a deal with On Demand Distribution (OD2) to offer almost 100,000 songs over the net. What’s more the new service, which would give customers access to the music for as little as £4.99 a month, could be up and running on HMV’s website by September. OD2 Chief Executive, Charles Grimsdale has told reporters: "This is a very important deal for the industry as a whole as HMV is one of the largest High Street retailers of CDs and stocks quite a broad catalogue." OD2 was set up by Peter Gabriel in 1999 to sell digital music over the internet, and already works in in partnership with ISPs MSN, Freeserve and Tiscali.
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EVANS STARTS MEDIA COMEBACK
Chris Evans stole the show at this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival, an industry only media conference that runs alongside the final few days of the Edinburgh Festival. The former Big Breakfast host essentially relaunched himself in front of an audience of 600 television executives at the event, saying he had been talking to venture capitalists about buying a stake in a British TV channel. Word is he may be interested in buying the 35% stake in Channel 5 held by the former Express owner Lord Hollick through United Business Media. The stake, with an estimated worth of between £200m and £300m, would give Evans a significant say in the running of the channel. Any moves into media ownership would be Evan’s first dabblings in the business since he fell out with SMG, the media giant with whom he shared ownership of Virgin Radio. Evans used the event to confirm that he was working on three TV projects: a daily chat show for Channel 5 to be hosted by Radio 1’s Chris Moyles; a morning programme, also for Channel 5, which will be hosted by Gaby Roslin and possibly Terry Wogan; and a Saturday night entertainment show called Boys and Girls for Channel 4, which should start early next year.
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Answer to Friday’s pop quiz:
What film soundtracks did each of the following Madonna songs appear on? Beautiful Stranger, Hanky Panky, Into The Groove, and American Pie
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Dick Tracy, Desperately Seeking Susan and The Next Best Thing respectively.