CMU
Daily - on the inside Thursday
10th March
In
today's CMU Daily:
- Evening Standard launch Moby album with new promotional platform
- Accuser takes to the stand: Jacko trial update
- 50 Cent and The Game end feud
- Doherty engaged?
- Single Review: The National - Abel
- Hextatic lights and sound show on streets of London tonight
- David Matthews driver admits to sewage drop
- Clear Channel enter joint venture with Chinese group
- Secret Coldplay gigs
- Will Stringer promotion lead to vacancy at top of SonyBMG?
- Big band legend dies
- Live Review: Verra Cruz at The Underworld, Camden
- Angels Britons' funeral favourite
- Mega Universal revenue stats expected
- New Morrissey single
- Album Review: Beck - Guero
- Queen man not impressed with Elton's jibe at the Elton musical
--------------------------------------------------
CMU
PRESS ROOM>>
KILL
ALL HIPPIES RETURNS
After a short break, legendary rock night Kill All Hippies returns
in 2005 with a special music alliance with TuneTribe.com, fabulous
new artwork and two new rooms!! In 2004 Kill All Hippies introduced
some of the bands of 2005: Kasabian, The Duke Spirit, The Others,
The Rakes, 80's Matchbox B-line Disaster and Little Barrie,
to name a few. Watch out again because this year Kill All Hippies
will be the nurturing ground for another clutch of fabulous
British talent, destined for great things. This month the live
line up includes Planet Of Women, Youth Of Britain, Riff Random
and Elviss, with DJ sets from residents Eddy Temple Morris,
Jeff Automatic and Syrinx, plus the NME DJs. All take place
on Friday March 25th at Canvas, York Way, London, N1; 8.30pm
- late; tickets £5 (£3 in advance). Full press release
at:
http://www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/pressroom/killallhippies
Advertise
your releases and events to CMU Daily's 6500+ readership - classified
ad and online press release package just £50 a year. Email
sales@cmumusicnetwork.co.uk for details, or check:
http://www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/pressroom/info.pdf
--------------------------------------------------
SAME
SIX QUESTIONS: Etienne de Crecy
How
did you start out making music for a living?
At first I was a bass player in a school rock band. Then I got
a proper job as a sound engineer. I started making music again
after discovering techno at a rave party.
What
inspired your latest album?
Clubs. I was inspired by all the nights I have spent partying
surrounded by a big sound system!!
What
process do you go through in creating an album?
I'd like to know of any working process !!! It's always an improvisation.
Which
artists influence your work?
The list is too long. Maybe Marcel Duchamp has most influenced
all the 20th century artists
What
would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first
time?
"If you listen to my advice you'll lose."
What
are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
To sell more than the previous one!
The album 'Etienne de Crecy presents Super Discount 2' is out
now on PIAS/Different. The single 'Etienne de Crecy presents
Super Discount 2 Some Like you' [Fast Track] , featuring Nouvelle
Vague's singer Camille, as well as remixes by Benny Benassi
and Munk, is out on 11 Apr. Plus there's a Super Discount 2
live show at Sic, Fabric, London on 15 Apr.
--------------------------------------------------
EVENING
STANDARD LAUNCH MOBY ALBUM WITH NEW PROMOTIONAL PLATFORM
Well, we implied yesterday in our story on the evils of cover
mount CDs that newspaper promotions involving music don't have
to be damaging to artists and their record sales, and we were
right.
Today
the Evening Standard is launching the new Moby album via its
own promotional download platform esmusic.co.uk with a promotion
designed to benefit the paper, the record label and, of course,
music fans everywhere. Moby has created a special 13 minute
mix taking in various tracks from his new album 'Hotel', which
is released in the UK on Monday.
The
unique mix, which can be downloaded via esmusic.co.uk as an
MP3, gives Evening Standard readers a flavour of the new album
plus a unique track to add to their digital music collection.
Readers need an unlock code published in the Standard's MetroLife
magazine to access the mix, hence the promotional value for
the paper. If readers like what they hear they can preview full
tracks from the album using a special technology called 4Play
which allows them to hear each track four times on their PC.
They can then buy the album as a CD from Recordstore.co.uk or
as a download from Moby's own download store. Which all means
the label gets a dynamic promotion and sell through platform.
Sorted.
Now
we should point out that esmusic.co.uk is a channel on the BigTime.tv
platform - BigTime being a company which specialises in producing
and aggregating music and other media rich content. Those who
pay attention to these things will remember the CMU team work
with BigTime on their music channels - so we might be a bit
biased - but we're very into creating platforms that benefit
artists, labels, media and music fans alike, so we know what
we're talking about. And this is a good one.
BigTime's
Ian Spero explains the logic: "We have selected to work
with labels and artists who really care about the way music
is packaged and presented. I can understand the logic of not
wanting to give away tracks from a new album, but it makes little
sense for labels to totally ignore the added value a carefully
planned and fully integrated media co-promotion can offer. In
a rapidly evolving digital marketplace, we see 4Play as a potent
tool in the marketing mix. We are delighted to launch this innovative
promotion with Moby, one of the world's most consistently innovative
artists."
Giving
the label's take on the project, Mute marketing director Howard
Corner told CMU: "Our brief was to create a piece of music
that captured the essence of Hotel - which Moby fans will want
to collect and play over again. It will provide Evening Standard
readers with a really special track for their music collections,
plus give them a flavour of Moby's new album, which they can
preview and order via the Standard promotion. The winners of
the competition will also have a unique opportunity to see Moby
play at a tiny venue. The 4Play concept provides the reader
an opportunity to experience the music in an interactive way
as opposed to devaluing Moby's music by giving it away for free."
And
giving the BPI's take on the project, the industry association's
Communications Manager Matt Phillips told us: "With digital
distribution, record companies can now promote their artists
in increasingly innovative and creative ways. We have already
seen the market for legal downloads grow rapidly in the UK,
from near zero sales in 2003 to around 9 million in 2004, and
we support initiatives that help UK music fans discover new
music safely and legally online."
You
can check out full details about the promotion in today's MetroLife.
Press enquiries to, erm, me - chris@bigtime.tv
--------------------------------------------------
ACCUSER
TAKES TO THE STAND: JACKO TRIAL UPDATE
He may not (unlike his brother) be called Star, and he may not
have the celebrity status of all the big names Jacko's defence
team are expected to call in the coming months, but surely Gavin
Arvizo is the star witness in the Michael Jackson child abuse
trial, and it was Arvizo that took to the witness stand yesterday.
Former cancer patient Gavin is the teenager who claims that
Jacko sexually abused him while he stayed at his Neverland ranch.
It was the first time the teenager had come face to face with
the singer since he first made the allegations.
In
his testimony Gavin described how Jackson, who he said he once
considered to be his "best friend" and "the coolest
guy in the world", had invited him to stay at his Neverland
ranch after the two had met via a programme that introduces
children suffering from cancer with their heroes. He claimed
that on his second night there Jackson had shown him no less
than seven sexually explicit websites using a computer in his
bedroom. He then said that Jackson had gone suddenly distant
from him for a time, but then suddenly called him up to ask
him to take part in the filming of the now legendary Martin
Bashir documentary.
Gavin:
"[Jackson] was like, "I'm going to put you in the
movies and this is your audition'. And he said: 'Tell them you
call me daddy and daddy Michael'. He said he wanted me to say
that he pretty much cured me of cancer." Asked if this
was true, he said: "Not really. He was hardly there during
my cancer."
Of
course Jacko's defence will try to rubbish Gavin's credibility
as a witness, attempting to convince the jury that his testimony
has been influenced by his lying, cheating, money grabbing crack
whore of a mother (well, they might not go that far in describing
Mrs Arvizo, but it's what they want us all to think of her).
Jacko's main lawyer Thomas Mesereau proceeded to do just that
to Star Arvizo, who was in the witness stand before his older
brother. Star told the court that he had actually witnessed
Jacko sexually abusing Gavin on three occasions, despite his
previous statement that he'd seen such activity twice. On the
inconsistency in his testimony he said: "It was actually
three times. I was nervous when I did the interview."
Mesereau
also questioned Star about the allegations that he and his family
were held hostage at the Neverland ranch. He wanted to know
how come, if the family felt threatened while at the ranch,
they kept going back. He said to Star: "How many times
do you think your family escaped from Neverland and then went
back so they could escape again?" Star responded: "I
don't get the question". I'm not sure I do either - clearly
the family are saying the threats only began the last time they
stayed there, following the fallout of the Bashir doc.
The
trial continues - everyone is awaiting Gavin to give his evidence
on the actual allegations of child abuse, which may well come
today.
Meanwhile,
Jackson's people have requested that the jury be taken to Neverland
- his legal people told the court: "Based on the fact that
the prosecution will make an issue of the nature of Neverland...
it is proper for the jury to be allowed to view Neverland".
--------------------------------------------------
50
CENT AND THE GAME END FEUD
Following much concern in the US press over the very public
feud between rappers 50 Cent and The Game, a feud which allegedly
was the cause of two shootings in New York last week, the two
hip hop stars yesterday called a truce. Despite The Game publicly
dissing 50 Cent last weekend after he was thrown out of the
chart topping rapper's group G:Unit, both of the men were in
attendance at a press conference yesterday to hand over money
to music projects for New York's deprived areas.
The
Game, real name Jayceon Taylor, told the news conference: "I
want to apologise. I'm almost ashamed to have participated in
the things that went on over the last few weeks."
50
Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, pointed out their truce was
timely, it being the anniversary of the still unsolved murder
of Biggie Smalls back in 1997 - killed seemingly as part of
the then highly tense feuds in the hip hop community. 50 Cent
told reporters: "We're here today to show that people can
rise above the most difficult circumstances and together we
can put negativity behind us. A lot of people don't want to
see it happen, but we're responding to the two most important
groups - our family and our fans."
The
two rappers handed cheques totalling over $250,000 to the Boys
Choir of Harlem. 50 Cent also announced he has launched the
G-Unity Foundation "to help people overcome obstacles and
make a chance for the better in their lives".
He
added: "I realised that if I'm going to be effective at
that, I have to overcome some of my own. Game and I need to
set an example in the community."
--------------------------------------------------
DOHERTY
ENGAGED?
Well, as several readers have pointed out, a real lack of good
Pete Doherty gossip of late in the old CMU Daily, so lets rectify
that now. The Sun reports that Kate Moss has been wearing an
engagement ring sparking rumours that she is back with Mr Doherty
and that they are engaged. A source told the paper: "Things
between them have got intense again and they have told pals
they are back together. Pete called and texted Kate loads after
she dumped him. She ignored him at first. But last week she
relented and went to his flat."
In
related news, Doherty's band Babyshambles have had to pull out
of a support set at The Streets' London gig this Friday. They
had been due to support Skinner et al, but will not now be able
to play, not because Doherty heard Skinner telling reporters
there would be less drink and drugs on his upcoming tour (because
that would suit Doherty just fine, surely), but because of a
sudden bereavement in the family of drummer Adam Ficek.
A
statement from the band reads thus: "It is with great regret
that we have had to cancel this show. Out of respect for Adam
and his family we decided that it would not be the right thing
to go ahead with it. We apologise to all our fans and hope they
understand the band's decision. We also request that at this
extremely difficult time that the privacy of Adam and their
family and friends is respected. Our thoughts are with them."
--------------------------------------------------
SINGLE
REVIEW: The National - Abel (Beggars Banquet)
This critically acclaimed Ohio band have finally made the step
up to a bigger label, after two albums on smaller independent
Brassland, and offer 'Abel' as a debut single for Beggars before
the forthcoming album 'Alligator' is released in Apr. The National
are more rock-orientated than most Americana bands, if this
release is anything to go by, though they could easily sit alongside
the likes of Richmond Fontaine and American Music Club. Lyrically,
they are certainly in the same territory; a world of failed
relationships, where regret and despair are the most common
emotions one feels. The opening lines set the scene so well;
"Abel, come on, give me the keys back. Everything has all
gone down wrong". It's certainly an epic and convincing
dissection of a break-up, and sounds good enough to warrant
investigating the impending album. Those looking out for the
latest band to emerge from the Americana scene could do worse
than give The National a try. KW
Release date: 14 March
Press contact: Beggars IH
--------------------------------------------------
HEXSTATIC
LIGHTS AND SOUND SHOW ON STREETS OF LONDON TONIGHT
CMU favourites Hexstatic will be presenting the latest incarnation
of their Master View show around London tonight - free on the
streets of the capital. The show will involve lots of lights
being projected onto buildings and some loud music booming from
a chunky PA. It will be well worth checking out - running times
as follows:
Business
Design Centre, Upper Street, Islington - 7.30-8pm
NCP Car Park, Brewer Street - 9-10pm
Truman Brewery, Brick Lane - 10.30pm - midnight
Press
info from Ninja Tune.
--------------------------------------------------
DAVID
MATTHEWS DRIVER ADMITS TO SEWAGE DROP
The David Matthews Band 'sewage on a boat' story is at and -
thank God - it was getting very tedious. As previously reported,
the driver of the DMB's tour bus decided to empty the contents
of the onboard toilet as he was crossing a bridge. The contents
fell down onto a sight-seer boat below, drenching them all in
sewage, lovely. The band weren't on the bus at the time, but
still donated over $100,000 to a local river conservation group
after the incident grabbed the headlines. Yesterday the driver
in question, Stefan Wohl, pleaded guilty to emptying the toilet
over the Chicago River, despite previously denying the sewage
had come from his bus (he changed his plea after CCTV footage
proved him wrong). The courts fined him $10,000, gave him 18
months probation and 150 hour community service. So that's the
case closed - well, except that the Illinois Attorney General
Lisa Madigan is suing him for $70,000 for the damage to the
river the sewage drop caused - though we won't be reporting
on that.
--------------------------------------------------
CLEAR
CHANNEL ENTER JOINT VENTURE WITH CHINESE GROUP
Live music giant Clear Channel has announced a fifty year joint
venture with Beijing Gehua Cultural Development Group, China's
state owned cultural agency. The joint venture will see the
two companies stage major international entertainment and sports
events in China, working to introduce international event and
venue management systems in the country as part of that process.
The deal should also open up global touring opportunities for
Chinese artists.
In
return for its investment in China's live sector the new company
will have first right of refusal to produce state-sanctioned
tours, to promote international events in the country, and to
manage venues, logistics, ticketing and commercial partnerships
on key events. The company will have its headquarters in Beijing
with satellite offices in New York and London.
Commenting
on the new venture, Clear Channel Entertainment boss Brian Becker
told Billboard that specific projects cannot be announced at
this time, but he confirmed that his company will invest in
tours and venues in the region "depending on the opportunities".
On the deal itself he added that the longevity of his company's
relationship with the Beijing body demonstrates "great
mutual belief in each other and the opportunities".
--------------------------------------------------
SECRET
COLDPLAY GIGS
Having played an intimated gig in a London rehearsal room for
just 40 fans last Friday, Coldplay have revealed they will be
playing another intimate gig in a London venue in Jun. The time
and location of the gig is a closely guarded secret, though
the band have confirmed the set will be recorded for Zane Lowe's
Radio 1 show.
It
will be the band's first UK gig for ages. On the ideal audience
member for that gig, Coldplay's Chris Martin says: "We
want some couple on their first date. I want them to have the
best time and go home and have their first snog and for it to
be the beginning of their romance because the Coldplay gig was
so good. We don't want to let those people down.
The
band played several new tracks at that mini-gig last week, all
from the new album. According to the NME, featured tracks included:
'Square One', 'White Shadows' and 'What If'. Exciting stuff.
--------------------------------------------------
WILL
STRINGER PROMOTION LEAD TO VACANCY AT TOP OF SONYBMG?
As gossipers gossip on what effect the promotion of Howard Stringer
to the top job at Sony Corp will have on the group's music division,
word has it Stringer will be looking to SonyBMG boss Andrew
Lack to take over some of the tasks he performed as the boss
of Sony US. Wonderers wonder if that might mean a promotion
for Lack and a new top man at the Group's record label. We'll
see.
--------------------------------------------------
BIG
BAND LEGEND DIES
Big band singing legend Kathie Kay, a resident on Billy Cotton's
Band Show, has died aged 86. She died in a nursing home in the
Scottish seaside town of Largs after many years suffering from
Alzheimers.
--------------------------------------------------
LIVE
REVIEW: Verra Cruz at The Underworld, Camden on 1 Mar
Hearing Verra Cruz live is the musical equivalent of chewing
on a ripe adrenaline gland. And it tastes good. The young three-piece
from St.Albans smack of Seattle, but this is far from mere grunge
recycling. They have fashioned very much their own sound, and
that sound is rich and compulsive. Borrowing the best from the
vaults of rock'n'roll, singer/lead guitarist Marc James welcomed
the crowd with the rally-cry, "let's rock", and paid
large-lip service to his forefathers with lyrics like "sometimes
I feel like a rolling stone". You cannot help but love
the bluesy tom foolery of James' bottle-neck lap steel, which
escalates from soulful meandering into solid, uplifting rock.
Their short set radiated an intense energy, anchored by robust
root-note bass and an unfaltering ensemble tightness, with the
occasional guitar solo exploding out of nowhere in a flurry
of fuck-you shock and awe. In a small venue, I felt pinned in
a pen by a large branding iron. With such sonic substance, this
band deserves big venues and big crowds. WE
--------------------------------------------------
ANGELS
BRITONS' FUNERAL FAVOURITE
Just so it's down in writing, at my funeral I want Queen's 'Another
One Bites The Dust' as people walk in, and Groove Armada's 'At
The River' as they carry the coffin out. And if we have to have
a hymn I'll go with hymn 75 from the Come & Praise hymn
book they had at school, I never did know what it was called.
I
do not, repeat do not, want Robbie Williams' 'Angels'. But,
it would seem, I'm in the minority. The Robbie track is apparently
the record most Britons say they would like to played at their
funeral. Second favourite is slightly more preferable - Frank
Sinatra's 'My Way', while the third choice is cool but predictable
- Monty Python's 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'.
In
the Europe wide version of the survey, undertaken by digital
TV channel Music Choice, Queen's 'The Show Must Go On' was most
popular, followed by Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and
AC/DC's 'Highway to Hell' - which is genius. As for our European
brothers, the Italians and Spanish picked Mozart's 'Requiem'
and The Beatles' classic 'Let It Be' as favourites, while the
Danish, who also rated 'Angels' very highly, also picked U2's
'With Or Without You'.
Commenting
on the survey, Music Choice's told reporters: "Music can
be very personal, indeed it often helps create a sense of identity.
Wanting to share your most treasured musical gem with those
you are leaving behind is the perfect way to sign off and leave
a lasting impression."
--------------------------------------------------
MEGA
UNIVERSAL REVENUE STATS EXPECTED
Smiling faces on the top floor at the Universal Music Group
with rumours they will report over $1 billion in earnings later
this week - they will be the first music group to pass the billion-in-a-year
benchmark. Parent company Vivendi, still coming out of that
financial meltdown a couple of years back, will be glad they
resisted the temptation to sell off their music business.
--------------------------------------------------
NEW
MORRISSEY SINGLE
Morrissey has announced details of a new single - 'Redondo Beach'
will be released on 28 Mar, accompanied by 'There Is A Light
That Never Goes Out' and 'Noise Is The Best Revenge'. A DVD
single version will include a video of a live performance of
'There's A Light' taken from his new live DVD 'Who Put The M
in Manchester', the release of which follows a few days later
on 4 Apr.
--------------------------------------------------
ALBUM
REVIEW: Beck - Guero (Universal/Geffen)
CMU was recently invited to get a sneak preview of Beck's latest
album offering, 'Guero', which sees the innovative three-time
Grammy winner and five-time MTV Video Music Award winner return
to his eclectic roots after the acoustic, melancholy 'Sea Change'.
Yep, 'Guero', which is Hispanic slang for "white boy"
sees Beck revert to the trademark sounds and influences of his
second and arguably best album 'Odelay', which is unsurprising
once you learn that he has again teamed up with producers -
the Dust Brothers. From the first riff of the foot-stomping
opening track and debut single 'E-pro', Beck's approach is energetic,
upbeat and confident. 'Girl' similarly provides a seemingly
buoyant air but lyrically carries a morose undercurrent while
'Missing' (which was arranged by Beck's father) is almost a
Bossa Nova but one of the album's weaker tracks. Beck also dips
into rap and break beats in 'Hell Yes and retains the Ry Cooder-esque
slide guitar that is recurrent throughout his back catalogue
in both 'Farewell Ride' and 'Emergency Exit'. The highlight
of the album arrives in the form of 'Go It Alone', which features
Jack White on bass. Overall, after three years in hiding, 'Guero'
is a welcome return to form from Beck and offers some of his
best material to date. GHS
Release date: March 21st 2005
Press contact: Polydor IH [all]
--------------------------------------------------
QUEEN
MAN NOT IMPRESSED WITH ELTON'S JIBE AT THE ELTON MUSICAL
Queen guitarist Brian May has called Elton John a "silly
boy" after reports Elton called Queen's hit West End musical
We Will Rock You "uncreative" (the script of which
was, of course, written by Ben Elton). May told reporters: "Elton
is a silly boy really for commenting on a piece of work he's
never seen. I know damn well We Will Rock You is one of the
best entertainments ever - simply because literally millions
of people say so, who have seen it and go back again and again,
from all countries of the world. It will soon have broken the
record for any show in the Dominion. These things are not achieved
without a certain creativity."
May
took the opportunity to take a dig at the Billy Elliot musical
which Elton has been working on. Observing that "the film
didn't do it for me', he said: "I guess if Billy Elliott
the Musical is still playing to ecstatic packed houses after
three years in the West End, we'll take it seriously."
Just
for the record, while we more than anyone love having an excuse
to enjoy an evening of Queen songs, 'We Will Rock You' is a
bit uncreative by Queen's former standard of creative genius.